Legacy of the Cursed Mask: Battle Across Time
by OrionPax09
Summary: InuYasha, Michiru, Kaname, and all the others are faced with a new danger, one that ripples across time and into new worlds. With so much at stake and the ties that bind them already strained, can they survive what is to come, let alone triumph? (Rated T, rating may change).
1. Scattering To The Winds

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Legacy of the Cursed Mask: Battle Across Time

Author's Warning: This story is the sequel to 'Legacy of the Cursed Mask: The Wolf-Demon Crisis', so for those of you who haven't read it yet, I strongly recommend that you read it first before proceeding with this story. Still, for those of you who insist on reading this right now, this first chapter will be something of a review chapter to get everybody caught up on what happened in the previous story. For those of you who are returning readers, welcome back!

Chapter 1: Scattering To The Winds

A strong wind was blowing on Mount Kurama, a wind that pricked dangerously at the ears, nose, and beard of the aged man that felt them. The trees, bushes, grass, and other forms of plant-life rustled in a worrying fashion, as if they were calling for his attention. The earth tremored ever so slightly, and the light shining down from the sun and the shadows it cast danced about before his eyes in a way that called for his attention.

As the aged man studied these things, took in whatever import they might have, he frowned unhappily. Narrowing his eyes and reaching out with senses beyond those of the limited senses of flesh and blood, he continued to scrutinize them. Only for his studies to interrupted when a voice called out, "Master?"

Bristling at the unwanted intrusion, the old man looked towards the person who had spoken to him, a creature that was the image of a beautiful young woman. "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not your master, girl?!" he irritably demanded. When the foolish creature he had taken in failed to respond, he heaved a deep sigh and asked, "What is it?"

"I have breakfast ready." A beat passed before she added, "I...I have been summoning you for breakfast for a little while now. So I came to see..."

Getting the gist of what she was trying to say, the old man waved his hand in understanding. "Alright, alright," he gruffly replied even as he again scanned his surroundings. Trying to make sense of what the spirits were trying to tell him. "I'll be along soon enough..."

The old man could sense the slight frown marking the girl's face without even turning to look. "Master, is something wrong?"

"When is there ever something _not _wrong with this damned world we all live in?!" the old man cynically shot back, not even bothering to protest her means of addressing him. She'd taken to him as her master early on in their relationship, and he knew there was no shaking her of that now. "However...it _does_ feel like something is even more wrong than usual..."

"In what way?" the girl wondered, her frown deepening. "I sense nothing."

"Of course not. You're nowhere near to being far along enough in your training to be able to pick up on something like _this!"_ the old man gruffly declared. "Something's happening, girl. And whatever it is, it extends beyond the forces of nature of _this _world! It reaches forth into the void, into the world of the spirits! It expands into the past as well as the future, not just the here and now!"

Glancing about her surroundings, futilely trying to interpret the forces of natures, the powers of the spirits, the girl asked, "So...what precisely is happening?"

"I don't know. Not _yet_, anyway," the old man irritably declared. For while there was precious little in this world that he cared anything about, those few things he protected to the best of his ability while protecting his anonymity. "But...I intend to find out..."

With this, the old man turned about and started back down the path he had taken to this place, moving with an ease and strength that greatly belied his age. Continuing to note the abnormalities in the forces of nature as he continued to trek down the path, the girl only a short distance behind him, he noted the way the animals skirted about warily, the way the river shifted and flowed. All of them further warning signs that something was gravely amiss, and likely to get even worse before it got any better.

Before long, the old man and young woman he had taken in reached their home; a simple home that would not be out of place in the many poor villages marking the landscape of Japan. It was a place that served their modest needs and provided shelter for both themselves and the scant few possessions they had. The few treasures they claimed to own.

Entering the simple house, the old man took note of the breakfast the girl had prepared, sniffed, and decided that she was definitely improving in her cooking ability before moving to the small storeroom he had made. Making his way towards the lone chest that sat in there, he opened it up, and from it withdrew a small, golden mirror. As he lifted the artifact up, he paused as always to study it, to think of the fond memories that it invoked within him, as well as the horrible tragedies he and others and suffered over the course of his long life. A tear would likely have fallen from his eye if not for the fact that he spent his tears a long time ago.

Instead, he took a deep breath before beginning his invocation. "Forces of the void, heed my call," he intoned, a glowing pentagram spinning into existence that framed his body, coming to appear slightly in front of him. "Reveal the mysteries beyond my sight. Reveal that which is to unfold, and those that it involves..."

As the old man's spell took shape, the pure surface of the mirror he held rippled, shimmering as it revealed another time, another place, and one of the people that was part of what was to come...

* * *

"Finally!" Janis smiled happily as she made her way into her room, already tearing open the lone bit of mail that had been for her that day. "It feels like it's been _forever_ since Kagome's last letter!"

As Janis crashed onto her bed, she found herself thinking of her friend in Japan, as well as the amazing adventure she had shared with Kagome and all of the others in the past. Of the strange heritage she had come to learn of, the amazing powers she had once wielded, as well as the perspective she had gained into her own problems in life.

_And so much...that I really do miss..._ Janis couldn't help but think as she looked over at the far wall of her bedroom, where hung one of the few things she had been able to hold onto after coming back from her trip down the rabbit hole; a naginata, a Japanese polearm, known as Akanemaru. It had been a gift to her from the god of Mount Habaki, a god of fire and iron, who had tempered and honed it to perfection. The only real thing she had left after her adventure in ancient Japan, save for some precious memories. _Why did it have to end? Why did we have to...?_

But even as Janis started thinking along those lines, she frowned. She had her grievances with her father, and she still hated having to leave friends she made every time he got another transfer, but she did try and keep those things back now, tried to appreciate the family she had. But losing those precious things still hurt. And losing what she had found in Japan was quite possibly one of the most difficult things she had had to deal with.

Right along with the fact that her dear friends were again facing horrible danger...and there was no longer anything she could do to help them.

_But at least I can keep up with what's happening to them,_ Janis reminded herself even as she liberated the letter from the envelope. _I'm just glad that Kagome's better at _writing _English than I am at _reading _Japanese!_

Still unable to fathom how anyone could make sense of the chicken scratch that passed for written word over in Japan, Janis lay back comfortable and began to read. "_Dear Janis, I hope things have been going better for you than they have for me. Because lately, it seems like everything has constantly been going from bad to worse!"_

Really not liking the way this letter was starting out with, Janis continued to read. _"As I already told you, Naraku has returned from the dead - again. Unfortunately, the compass can't help us find him, so we were trying to think of which way to go to start looking for Naraku when Myoga showed up and told us that something strange was happening in the mountains to the north. Since we didn't have any better ideas, we decided to go check it out."_

_"But right from the start, things started to go bad on us. First we almost got killed by an infestation of demonic grass that was wiping out a forest, then we ran into Koga and his friends, who told us that this absolute lunatic called Toma was trying to take over the wolf-demon tribe!"_ Janis continued to read, her eyes widening somewhat at this part. _"It turns out that the wolf-demons have been having a lot of trouble lately. Some other tribes of demons had been moving in on them, and a lot of the animals had been getting sick and dying. So Toma was trying to take over the entire tribe. He had a lot of followers, and they'd been capturing monster demons so they could enslave them! The only thing is that the monsters were more interested in _eating _the wolf-demons than listening to anything that Toma said!"_

Wincing at this, Janis immediately decided that she hated Toma already and hoping that he had come down with a bad case of dead, she continued reading. _"Anyway, Koga had his own plan for strengthening the wolf-demon tribe, by forming an alliance with a group of Demon Slayers."_ Her eyes widening at this point, Janis had to read over this section two or three times, just to be certain that she had actually read what she thought she had. _"Yeah, I know, it must sound crazy."_ Unable to argue with that, Janis shook her head in low amazement before continuing. _"But it turns out that Koga is a good friend with the Demon Slayer leader Daisuke, who's pretty cool himself. Not to mention tough! He's got this attack called the Hand of Fate that does a lot of damage to demons, as well as a cannon made from the skull and ribcage of a huge, fire-breathing ogre. He's also partners with a silver phoenix called Kokoro, the same way Sango's partners with Kirara."_

Deciding that Daisuke sounded like someone that they should be glad was on their side, Janis continued reading. _"Anyway, Koga wanted to show his tribe some powerful humans to help sell them on the idea of an alliance with the Demon Slayers, so we agreed to go with him to the mountains. But as soon as we got there, we found out that things were even worse than we'd thought. Toma had all of his monsters in special cages set up so that he could unleash them on all of the wolf-demons any time he wanted! On top of that, he forced me, Miroku, Sango, and the twin twits into a tournament where we'd be fighting his monsters, one-on-one! And all it would have taken was for just one of us to lose, and Toma would have been the official ruler of the wolf-demons!"_

"Huh? Wait a sec..._twin twits?"_ Janis frowned, pausing to double-check and make certain that she had read that correctly. "I thought Michiru and Kaname were her _friends!_ So why...?" Then the lovely blonde paused to consider the matter, recalling her time in Japan, as well as some of the nasty things she could and would say about InuYasha when the two of them were quarreling. "Hmm...maybe she and the Kururugis had an argument or something before she came home..."

Deciding that this made as much sense as anything, Janis returned to the letter. _"Long story made short, we won the tournament, outed Toma as the monster he was and got him and his followers banished from the mountains. But that was only the start of our troubles! Shortly after that happened, we found these crystal stones that were poisoning the water and killing all the animals! And then when we went with Koga and his friends to meet with Daisuke to finalize the alliance, we were ambushed by Toma and his followers! And that's when things got _really _bad!"_

Not sure if she even wanted to know what really bad meant in this case but resolved to find out, Janis continued. _"It turns out that Toma had been working with Naraku to enslave the wolf-demons, and that his followers were only working for him because, if they didn't, he'd kill them and turn them into these monster zombies or absorb them! And Naraku, he was the one responsible for the crystal stones, and even worse, while Toma was keeping us busy, Naraku's demons were attacking Daisuke and his Demon Slayers!"_

Letting out a low sigh at the thought of the trials and tribulations her friend had been facing, Janis shook her head sympathetically. _"We were able to kill Toma, but thanks to Michiru's Shikigami not mixing well with Koga's Jewel Shards, he started being encased in crystal! So we had to split up to deal with everything that was happening! So InuYasha, Sango, Miroku, and Kaname went to the fort, while I was stuck with the jerk and Ayame, trying to save Koga!"_

"Okay, I'm guessing that you _definitely _had a fight with Michiru, then," Janis decided, wondering just how bad a fight had taken place to so thoroughly sour Kagome's opinion of a friend she had once spoken so highly of.

Figuring that she would likely find out if she kept reading, Janis proceeded. _"It was a nasty and scary time, but eventually, we won, and thanks to my Sacred Arrow combining with Michiru's Shikigami, Koga was saved and became even more powerful than ever!"_ Kagome's words continued. _"Unfortunately, Daisuke's fort was destroyed, a lot of his people were killed, and most of his supplies were lost! So not only did they have to start over, building a new fort just outside the eastern caves of the wolf-demon mountains, but they had hardly any food or medicine left! And with the wolf-demons' own food shortage, that was bad trouble!"_

Unable to argue with this, Janis continued to read. _"So once everyone was healed up and the Demon Slayers were building their fort and everything, me and the rest of the gang went to Tsuzumi Village to trade for food and medicine. Koga came along with us, as well Azusa, a wolf-demon who has an even worse attitude than InuYasha, and a Demon Slayer called Jiro."_ Raising an eyebrow and wondering just how bad this wolf-demon was, the blonde continued with, _"But even when we started negotiating for the supplies we needed, that jerk Michiru started causing trouble!"_

Narrowing her eyes somewhat at this, Janis paused before continuing. _"Now here's the thing. Michiru's got a crush on Sango."_ Again, the blonde paused, surprised by this revelation. _"I didn't say anything about it before because I didn't think anything about it. After all, anybody could tell that Miroku and Sango are meant for each other!"_

"That's not what _I _thought!" Janis muttered, recalling her first encounter with Miroku, who had lost no time in asking her to bear his child, as well as the way Sango had quickly lost her temper with his womanizing ways. "I always thought that those two were caught between kissing and _killing _each other! With _Sango _doing the killing!"

_"Anyway, it turns out that InuYasha's bad attitude and short fuse have been rubbing off on him! Because one time, while we were sparring, he lost his temper with Miroku and started attacking with super powerful spells! And as if that wasn't bad enough, Michiru was trying to get between him and Sango!"_ Kagome's letter continued. _"Miroku caught them together, then challenged Michiru to another fight! So of course, the jerk loses his temper again, and forced Miroku to use his Wind Tunnel to protect himself! He nearly killed Miroku in the process!"_ Frowning again at this, Janis paused to consider this even as she read on. _"And as if that wasn't bad enough, when we confronted Michiru about it, he tried to lie his way out of it and blame everything on Miroku! And when Miroku was actually nice enough to offer him a chance to apologize and put everything behind them, that lousy creep blasted him with a spell before running off on us! I can't believe what a jerk he's being!"_

"Hmm..." Janis paused, not liking the way this was going. The Michiru Kagome had originally described and the person she was ranting about in the letter seemed like two very different people. And she also remembered some of the nasty things she tended to say about InuYasha when she was in a foul mood. "I think I should ask InuYasha or somebody else about this before I jump to any conclusions about this..."

Making a mental note to do so, Janis read on. _"And on top of all that - and you're not gonna believe this part - we found a jet fighter in the Feudal Era!"_ Her eyes popping wide open at this, the blonde was forced to reread this sentence several times before she was certain that she had read it correctly. _"It was buried near Tsuzumi Village, and it was in perfect condition! And as if that wasn't crazy enough, there was a strange sword called the Reikikaega hidden inside of it! Myoga went with Kirara to go find Totosai so he can study the Reikikaega and find out more about it!"_

"Wait...a _modern _jet fighter..._buried _in the past...with a _sword _hidden inside?!" Janis muttered, trying to make sense of this development and failing utterly in the process. "There's got to be one heck of a story behind _that!"_

_"Anyway, I've been spending some time at home, trying to find out more about the jet and see if one's gone missing. But I haven't been able to find anything,"_ Kagome's letter continued. _"I'm probably gonna spend a little time, recovering from everything that's been going on lately, before heading back to the Feudal Era. I hope things are going better for you than they are for us right now. Sincerely, your friend, Kagome."_

Having finished this latest letter from her Japanese friend, Janis let out a low whistle of appreciation. She had known from the instant she had learned of Naraku's resurrection that the lives of Kagome and all her Feudal Era friends would be getting much more complicated, but she could never have anticipated anything like this. _Even if I still had the power of the Kamuitama, I'm not sure I could help all that much,_ she thought unhappily. _I just hope that, whatever issues Kagome's having with the others, they can work through them._ Then she allowed a tiny little smile to curl her lips. _Preferably before I can spring my surprise on them..._

* * *

"Now _that's _strange..." the old man muttered as he studied the images revealed in the mirror.

"What is?" asked the girl behind him.

"There's a twist in time," the old man answered, as surprised as was possible for someone who had lived through what he had. "Normally, time moves forward, and only forward, like a river flowing down the mountain. But something has twisted time, looping it about! Allowing for a specific point in the future to influence the here and now!"

A beat passed as the young woman considered this before asking, "Is that dangerous?"

"It certainly _could _be," the old man returned, raising a large eyebrow at the girl. "It's strange...almost like a loop in time. And it has the feel of divine power...like that of a Tree of Ages."

"I am familiar with the power of such a tree," the young woman assured him.

"I know you are. So you know why I'm concerned about such power; because there's always some moron who thinks they can take something like that and do whatever they please with it, and then they get all surprised when everything blows up in their faces!" Shaking his head in disgust at how stupid and worthless people could be, the old man returned his focus to the matter at hand. "We'll investigate it some other time. But first I need to finish figuring out _this _mess before we move on to the next one!"

With that, the old man continued to study the mirror, the image shifting from a strange girl to that of others...

* * *

As Akio Kururugi made his way through his home, he once again found himself thinking about how empty the Kururugi Shrine had come to feel in recent times.

The patriarch of the Kururugi family had long since seen this coming, of course. He had anticipated that he and his wife would have to deal with what was commonly referred to as empty nest syndrome when Michiru and Kaname had made their decision to return to the Feudal Era to once again help their friends in the past. But even knowing that it would likely happen had done nothing to ease the reality of it. Of how quiet the Kururugi household was in their absence. Of constantly expecting to see his children having breakfast or watching television or working on their homework. Of not being able to talk to them, to play with them.

To not be able to protect them, despite knowing that they were likely incredible danger.

_But they made their choice,_ Akio reminded himself as he continued to wander his home. _They wanted to help their friends. And we had no right to try and prevent them._ Frowning slightly, the worried father lowered his eyes to the floor. _It's been this way in my family for centuries; to reveal the truth when the time is right, and then to allow our children to find their own paths...no matter where they may take them..._

For the first time, Akio felt as if he could truly appreciate the burden that his parents and grandparents and all of the generations of his bloodline have had to carry since the day the Kururugi Shrine had first been built. And out of all the burdens he had been forced to bear, this one was by far the heaviest.

Still lost in his musings, Akio continued forward, only to be brought out of his inner world when he gently collided with something. "Ohh!" came a gentle voice, one that he recognized instantly even as he looked up to see the source. "What the -?"

"Ah - I'm sorry, Fumiko!" Akio promptly apologized as he looked at his wife. She was a rare beauty with a full figure, smooth brown hair that was done up in a long ponytail, and the glasses she wore over her greenish eyes only seemed to add to her attractiveness. "I...I was thinking about..."

"The children," Fumiko concluded for him, taking him aback. Even as Akio struggled to muster a response, she smiled a sad smile. "You don't need to pretend, you know. You're as worried about them as I am."

For a moment, Akio considered how to respond. He thought about reassuring his wife that their children were more than capable of protecting themselves. About reminding her that they were not alone, that they had powerful friends at their sides. But even as he thought these things, he took note of where they were; right outside of Kaname's room. And as he realized that Fumiko had been losing herself in her memories and concerns just as he had, he knew that all he would be doing was telling her things that she already knew. And not telling her the things that she didn't know.

The things that she - and he himself - wanted and needed to hear.

"I know," Akio finally admitted, his brows furrowed as worry turned to frustration. "I know that they had to do this, but...I wish that..."

"That we could fight their battles for them," Fumiko concluded, nodding thoughtfully.

"Like in the good old days," Akio nodded as well.

"That's how it's always been for us, hasn't it? So much easier to take matters into our own hands, instead of watching and waiting and worrying," Fumiko noted with a slight smile.

"It certainly worked," Akio replied before heaving a deep breath. "But...maybe it's time we started doing something..."

A beat passed before Fumiko frowned. "You're not planning on going after them, are you?" she asked worriedly. "Akio, even if you did that, who knows how long it would take to find them? And how would Michiru or Kaname feel if we -?"

"No, no. Nothing like that, dear," Akio quickly assured her. "But...there's nothing to stop me from...checking up on them again, now is there?"

"Nothing except for me," Fumiko noted, raising an eyebrow at her husband. "And the last time you used your Shikigami to look in on them, you caught your son in a hot spring with Sango!"

_"And _Kaname and Kagome! Besides, Michiru was completely dressed in that hot spring! So it's obvious I wasn't interrupting anything...well, _hopefully,_ nothing like what...it looked like," Akio got out, fumbling somewhat as he recalled the incident in question.

"Maybe so, but...you know how Michiru feels about Sango. And from what I could see, I got the feeling that his feelings were not unreciprocated. So I don't want to accidently intrude on their privacy or any of the others," Fumiko explained. But even as she said this, she frowned. "Still...if we could find out if they're safe..."

"I think I have a spell for that. But it would work better if I used the Tree of Ages to..." Akio began...only to trail off as something pricked at his consciousness.

A moment of silence expanded exponentially, prompting Fumiko to frown worriedly. "My love?" she asked, placing her hand upon his shoulder. "What is it?"

"There's something else here..." Akio murmured in a low, concerned voice even as he reached out with his own Shikigami. "Another presence...almost like..."

* * *

The old man hurriedly dismissed the image in the mirror, withdrawing his gaze from the point in the future that his Shikigami had drawn him to. "Damn...that was close..."

"What happened?" the girl wondered in a concerned voice.

"A Shikigami User...one of my own blood...centuries in the future," the old man breathed, caught between surprise and awe. "He sensed my presence in his own time...would have identified the power of the Shikigami if I hadn't retreated when I had...!"

"A Shikigami User? In the future?" the girl wondered.

"Don't sound so surprised, girl," the old man snorted. "Those wielding the forces of nature have existed within this land for centuries. I have no doubt that they'll continue to do so for centuries more." Unwilling to admit that even he felt a slight sense of pride that those of his blood would continue to carry on the traditions that he and so many of his clan had upheld for so long, despite his justly acquired disdain for most people, he returned to the subject at hand. "Something's happening, girl. Something that stretches across the ages, and somehow, those people in the future are tied up in all of it." Heaving a deep breath, the old man considered his next move. "I need to learn more if I'm gonna make sense of this...but I think I'd better focus on whatever's happening in the here and now..."

And so, the image in the mirror again shifted, revealing an odd trio...

* * *

"I don't like this, Lord Sesshomaru," Jaken whimpered as he trailed a safe distance behind the noble demon to whom he had placed himself in his service.

When Sesshomaru failed to respond, the girl that had been with them since Sesshomaru had decided to revive her piped up with, "Why not, Jaken? Why are you so worried about that pretty star? It's not in the sky anymore, so -"

"If I've told you once, Rin, I've told you a thousand times!" Jaken bellowed, waving the Staff of Two Heads frantically as he hopped about. "That thing _wasn't _a star, it _wasn't _pretty, and it most certainly _is _dangerous! Anything that could swallow up so many demons and emit so much power is _extremely _dangerous! And if you were to ask me, it'd be much better if we were to avoid going anywhere near it!"

"But we're still going towards where we last saw it," Rin pointed out in her typical obviousness and obviousness. "So that means that it can't be so dangerous! At least, I'm sure it's not anything that Lord Sesshomaru can't take care of!"

"I - I never said that it was!" Jaken nervously protested, darting a glance at the lord he serviced, the noble son of the Great Dog Demon, so composed and controlled, so unlike the half-blooded mutt, InuYasha. "But you have to realize that, if _we're _looking for that blasted thing, then there might be others who think they can tame it for their own use! So you can bet that we're going to be running into a lot of trouble, sooner or later!"

A beat passed as Rin considered this. "Lord Sesshomaru, do you think Master Jaken's right about that?" the human girl asked in a slightly concerned voice. "Do you think there will be others looking for that star?"

"Given how easy it was to sense, then yes," Sesshomaru replied in his usual curt manner.

Frowning slightly at this, Rin hesitated before asking, "Do you think...Naraku might be looking for it?"

Even as Jaken found himself thinking of the time when Rin had been kidnapped by Naraku to be used as bait in one of his traps, Sesshomaru replied, "Not himself. Naraku is too much of a coward to do something like that."

"But that doesn't mean he won't send Kagura or some other demon after it!" Jaken hurriedly pointed out. "I swear, that Naraku is the absolutely most disgusting creature I've ever met! Trying to manipulate Lord Sesshomaru, daring to lure him into a trap of all things! The nerve of him!"

For once, Rin had nothing to say to this. Instead, it was Sesshomaru who spoke. "He won't harm you, Rin," the demonic noble intoned in a voice that brooked no misinterpretation. "Naraku will not take you again."

As Rin looked up in response to Sesshomaru's words, the demonic noble continued forward, never once looking back. But just the same, his words caused her face to light up with joy, spurring her to move just a little bit faster. Leaving Jaken to groan despairingly. "That girl..." the green-skinned imp muttered, shaking his head for a time, just before something else clicked. "Wait...what about me, milord? Certainly, you wouldn't let Naraku take your most faithful servant, now would you?" When Sesshomaru completely failed to say anything, Jaken tried again. "Milord! Milord, you wouldn't...!"

* * *

Kikyo could no longer see the object of her current quest. But that did not matter to the undead priestess. She did not need to see it.

The power radiated by the brilliant blue artifact she had seen in the sky so many nights ago still radiated forth into the world, the disturbance created by its very existence calling out to her like a siren. And more importantly, several of her Soul Collectors had already seen the strange, metal bird that was her objective with their own eyes, allowing her to see it through them.

Power potentially beyond that of the Sacred Jewel awaited in Tsuzumi Village. And even more important to her, so did someone very precious to her.

_We will meet again very soon, InuYasha,_ Kikyo thought to herself as her creatures carried her forward. _Fate cannot be denied..._

* * *

Hoofbeats echoed amongst the trees of the forest as the samurai continued onward, pushing as hard as possible to reach his objective. Ignoring his own mounting exhaustion, the way his body protested his ignoring the needs of decent rest and food.

Time was his enemy on all fronts, the samurai knew. The power that called out to him, that so disturbed the forces of nature, was a prize to any and all that desired such power, human and demon alike. He had no doubts that many others, like himself, had sensed the power that had shown so brightly in the night sky when the brilliant, lightning blue orb had first appeared. That kind of power would draw in the greedy, the wicked, the cruel, as well as those in desperate need of such power, or those who wished to use it for a righteous cause.

Including the beast that was his bane. The enemy he had sworn upon his life and the lives and graves of so many others to end.

_Which is why I _have_ to reach it first! I have to claim it before anyone else can!_ the samurai vowed as he continued to push forward with all of his strength and determination. _No matter what happens, I _will _find that object! I _will _claim the power to slay the beast...so that my family and friends can finally rest in peace..._

* * *

"So...three warriors are looking for an object of power," the old man muttered, his large eyebrows furrowed in displeasure as he surveyed other, vague images in the mirror. "And I sense others who may soon get mixed up in it as well." Shaking his head at this, he grumbled, "What is it with people that they _always_ have to have more power?! It's like they're never satisfied! They always _have _to have _more!"_

As the old man harrumphed loudly, the young woman asked, "What object? What exactly are they looking for?"

Glancing over his shoulder at her, the old man retorted, "I'm about to find out..."

And with that, the glass of the golden mirror again rippled...

* * *

"Oh...!" Hachi groaned as a bundle was loaded onto his massively blobby flying form. One of many bundles already laden on him, similar to other bundles that lay in wait, ready to be loaded. "Just how much more am I gonna have to carry?!"

"As much as possible," Jiro informed the transformed tanuki in a relatively level voice. A voice that almost concealed the lingering agitation the Demon Slayer was dealing with as a result of recent events.

_Not that he's the only one..._ InuYasha couldn't help but think as he watched the local workers load up Hachi for his trip to the mountains.

What the half-demon and his friends and allies had been through as of late was something InuYasha was still struggling to believe, let alone cope with. So much had happened as a result of Naraku's latest assault on them all, and so many people had suffered and died as a result of it all. And even in them, they who had survived, much had changed. And they were all tormented as a result.

Michiru was presently resting on Kirara's back, still drained physically and emotionally as a result of everything that had happened. Ever since the fight with Miroku, the Shikigami User had been forced to deal with more crap than any of them. First he had nearly been killed when Miroku had turned his Wind Tunnel in an attempt to force Michiru to leave the group and Sango behind, then the degenerate monk had framed the Shikigami, trying to make it seem that Michiru had lost his head and had nearly killed the monk instead. Kagome, having been under the belief that Miroku and Sango were meant for each other, had eagerly embraced the notion of Michiru's guilt and had quickly gone on a spree of condemning him. Even worse was that, during Naraku's attack, Michiru had been taken over by a demonic mask that had made him a puppet of Naraku's latest incarnation, very nearly forcing the Shikigami User to kill Sango and Koga. As a result, Michiru's strength had been badly drained, leaving him effectively bedridden.

_The only things that have been going right for Michiru lately are the fact that the Demon Slayers will be able to heal him, and Miroku finally wised up and confessed to screwing him over,_ InuYasha thought, only to correct himself when he glanced over at another member of their team. _And...Sango _finally _admitting that she's in love with him..._

"Sorry to take so long," Sango apologized as she approached. At her side, a tiny girl with shoulder-length black hair and blue eyes, dressed in a white kimono, trembled visibly as she clung to the Demon Slayer. "It took a while to get ready, and..."

Glancing down at the girl beside Sango, who shrank behind the Demon Slayer, unwilling to even meet InuYasha's eyes. She trembled in fear, doing keep Sango between herself and the half-demon.

And once again, InuYasha could barely believe that this timid little creature had once been one of their most formidable enemies. That she had once been the Incarnation of Void...known as Kanna.

_I saw it with my eyes and I _still _can't believe it!_ InuYasha thought, fingering the hilt of the sword they had found in the jet, the magical sword known as the Reikikaega. The Aura-Transmuting Fang had not only enabled him to retain his half-demon form on the night of the new moon when Naraku had last attacked, but when he had used it on Kanna and her mirror, it had depowered them both, rendering the little girl a full human, and thus forced upon her the burden of emotions, such as the constant fear she felt, now that she was in the constant presence of those that had once tried to kill her. _Dammit...it's getting harder to think of her as the same person as...well, her._

"Didn't want to leave her room, huh?" InuYasha gathered.

"No. Kanna _did _decide to come with us to the mountains," Sango promptly assured him before glancing down at the girl in a reassuring manner. "But...she's still not used to people, so..."

InuYasha knew that. Ever since Sango had brought Kanna back after promising Kagura that she would take care of her, the former incarnation had spent her days huddled in the seclusion of her room, refusing to have anything to do with anyone save for the Demon Slayer. For while she retained all her knowledge and experience from her days as a demon, she had no knowledge as to how to deal with all of the emotions that had sprung up in her so freely after being transformed.

Just as InuYasha himself had difficulty with the strong human emotions that came to him during the night of the new moon...

Scowling at this thought, the half-demon focused on the others that were approaching. Kaname Kururugi, Michiru's sister, had her brother's belongings packed up in his backpack, while Shippo was marching alongside her. "Hey, you two," Sango greeted them with a wan smile. "Shippo, are you ready to go?"

"Sure am, Sango!" Shippo promptly assured her.

"And I've got my bro's stuff right here," Kaname announced, holding up Michiru's backpack.

As Sango accepted the backpack, Michiru frowned unhappily. "I...thanks, Kaname. I...I should've gotten it myself, but..."

"How could you have gotten it?! You can barely even _move!"_ Shippo pointed out even as Michiru frowned deeply. A beat passed as the little fox processed this frown, then added, "Uh...that is..."

"No...I know, Shippo," Michiru sighed wearily. "I just...really hate this...that's all."

Not able to blame him for this in the slightest, InuYasha then looked about and realized that there was someone missing. "Hey, Sango? Where's Kohaku?" the half-demon wondered even as he glanced about for any sign of her younger brother. "Aren't you taking him with you?"

A dark shadow appeared on Sango's face at this. "Actually...InuYasha...I wanted to talk to you about that."

"About what?" InuYasha asked, already not liking the way this was going.

Pressing her lips together in an expression of concern, Sango heaved a deep breath before saying, "Look...we may have been able to get Kohaku away from Naraku, but he's still under Naraku's spell. And that means that...Naraku could have him do anything. He could have him attack us or anyone else without warning. That's why we still have him under guard." Nodding his understanding, InuYasha looked on as the Demon Slayer hesitantly admitted, "So...I decided that it would be better if I left Kohaku here with you and the others."

As Michiru gave Sango a wan look of surprise, InuYasha frowned and returned, "Well, if you think that's best, but...we're gonna have our hands full with the jet and everything else going on here. _Especially_ if Naraku or someone else comes looking for it!"

"I realize that, but...InuYasha, you and I both know how delicate things are back in the mountains. Daisuke and Koga only recently finished implementing the alliance between the Demon Slayers and the wolf-demons, so there's bound to be...a lot of anxiety among them." Realizing that Sango was concerned about how good a job the two former enemies would be doing at getting over whatever issues they had had in the past, the half-demon nodded. "And the last thing they need is for anything to go wrong. And if Naraku were to take control of Kohaku and send him after the wolf-demons..."

Grimacing at the mental image this unfinished sentence produced in him, InuYasha listened as Kaname added, "Ugh, that's right. And with so many of the Slayers still injured or working to build their new fort, they probably don't have anybody to spare for guard duty."

"Exactly," Sango confirmed. "Now...I don't like this, but I _do _think this is the best thing for all of us. You'll be in a better position to keep an eye on Kohaku, and even..." The Demon Slayer's voice broke somewhat, something InuYasha knew to mean that she was putting considerable effort into keeping her emotions in check and buried deep beneath the surface. "Even if he _were _to slip away...I don't see how he could steal the jet. And Kagome's always got the Sacred Jewel Shards we have...so as long as we're careful, it should be safer to keep Kohaku here. At least, until we can find a way to break Naraku's hold on him."

_At least__ one that doesn't involve killing him,_ InuYasha couldn't help but think, knowing that this was easier said than done. Kohaku was already physically dead; it was only the Sacred Jewel Shard in his back that sustained him, kept his body going. Unfortunately, that Shard carried with it evil spells laid on it by Naraku, allowing him to control Sango's brother. The surest way to free Kohaku from Naraku's spell would be to simply remove the Shard...but that would instantly result in Kohaku's death. And they had no way of knowing if simply replacing his Shard with one that had been purified would prevent something like that from happening. _If only..._

"We'll take care of Kohaku for you, Sango," Kaname promptly assured the Demon Slayer with a wan smile. "And...well, I could probably come up with a spell to...make sure that...nothing happens."

Nodding to this, Sango replied, "Thank you. I really do appreciate that." Then the Demon Slayer looked down at the girl by her side and added, "I just hope that...that it won't come to that..."

* * *

_How did it come to this...?_ Kagome asked herself for what felt like the millionth time as she sat near the warehouse, barely even paying attention to the villagers that were loading up the precious burdens of food and medicine on Hachi. Knowing that she should have been happy that they had succeeded in their mission to help the alliance of wolf-demons and Demon Slayers...but ultimately too overwhelmed by her own inner torments to even think about it.

When Miroku had told her that Michiru had been the one to escalate the battle between himself and the monk, pushing Miroku to the point where he had had no choice but to use his Wind Tunnel to defend himself, Kagome had believed him immediately. After all, she had seen the signs of things deteriorating between the monk and the Shikigami User. She knew the kind of problems that arose when two guys had their sights set on the same girl. And most of all, she had seen Michiru go completely berserk on Miroku before. So despite Miroku's history of bending the truth in his own favor, she had no problem believing that Michiru had been the guilty party.

But now, after seeing Sango forcing Miroku to confess his sins, after hearing InuYasha tell her that he had not heard Michiru using any magic until after the Wind Tunnel had been silenced, and seeing how fiercely the Demon Slayer and the half-demon believed in the Shikigami User...Kagome was no longer as certain. In regards to Miroku's innocence...or anything else.

_I was so certain that Miroku and Sango would wind up together...I wanted it to happen so badly...!_ Kagome thought despondently as she looked at the monk and the Demon Slayer. Sango was sitting next to Kanna, comforting the former incarnation to the best of her ability, while Miroku stood off to the side, keeping his distance from the rest of them, examining the palm of his right hand and the Wind Tunnel that lay beneath the cloth and sacred beads that bound it. Looking like he wanted to be anywhere else but among them. _But...were things _always_ that bad between them? Was it only the fact that Sango didn't have anyone else to be with that kept her and him together?_

Kagome didn't want to believe it. She wanted to believe that it was just another trick, that Michiru had somehow done something to cloud Sango's judgment, that something would happen and the Demon Slayer and the monk would again find their way to each other's arms.

Because for her...the alternative was so much more unpleasant.

Like that of Sango and Miroku, Kagome's relationship with InuYasha tended to be rocky, even at the best of times. It took so little to start them fighting, and once they began arguing, they wouldn't stop until InuYasha was embedded in the ground. And then there was Kikyo, the undead priestess that was the half-demon's first love. Not to mention the fact that Kagome and InuYasha came from two very different worlds. There were just so many reasons why they could never be together.

Except, perhaps, in a fairytale.

In a fairytale, true love would conquer all, both for Miroku and Sango and even Kagome herself. In a fairytale, she could be certain that they would eventually triumph over Naraku. And in a fairytale, they could be assured of a happily ever after.

_But this _isn't _a fairytale,_ Kagome reminded herself once more as she again thought of Miroku's theory regarding the jet and the Reikikaega; that they were artifacts from the future, a future even beyond her own time. A future in which they had all lost to Naraku, a future in which the only hope of survival had been to take the jet and Reikikaega back in time to that one crucial battle, to make right what had once gone wrong. _If Miroku's right, we _lost _to Naraku! Most of us probably _died_! And he...Naraku would have Michiru's Shikigami powers and who knows what else, and...!_

And as Kagome continued to think on the matter, it became even more painful for her. Because if Miroku's theory was correct...then she was part of the reason for such a tragedy took place.

If Miroku really had tried to kill Michiru or drive him off with his Wind Tunnel, then Kagome had unfairly turned on her friends and had been unjustly treating the Kururugi twins like criminals. She had helped foster the rift and the infighting that had been going on amongst them since that night. She had helped create an opportunity for Naraku to strike.

Kagome had helped cause her closest friends to die.

_But is it really possible?! Could I really be...could all of that really be possible?_ Kagome thought, wanting nothing more than for all that to not be true. _Could I really have been _that _wrong about...everything?!_ Glancing over at her friends in general and InuYasha in particular, she heaved a deep sigh. _If only I'd listened to you then! Then maybe I...I...wait..._

Something else was connecting in Kagome's mind. Something borne of a recent experience, from when the group had met outside of the village, determined to speak in secret with Totosai regarding the Reikikaega. And how Kaname had guaranteed that no one would be able to eavesdrop on them via her magic. By casting a spell around them that would ensure that no one else could hear anything. A spell potent enough to keep a wolf-demon's sensitive ears from detecting someone's voice, even when she was right next to the speaker.

_What if _that's _the reason InuYasha didn't hear Michiru using any spells?!_ Kagome suddenly found herself thinking._ What if he used his magic to keep us from hearing him so we wouldn't be able to get in the way of him going after Miroku?!_

Inspired by this thought, Kagome began fleshing out this scenario in her mind. Michiru and Miroku were fighting, with things starting to get out of hand. Michiru realized that things were getting noisy and that his efforts could draw some undue attention, so in the middle of casting attack spells, he cast a spell similar to Kaname's that stifled any noise, thus ensuring that no one would interfere and that he wouldn't look bad in front of everyone, including Sango.

_That could be it! _Kagome thought, feeling a burst of hope as this scenario played out in her mind, with a villainous mustache appearing on Michiru's face in the process. _No one was there to see it! And Kaname already showed us that a Shikigami User can block sound, and Michiru's more experienced than her! So he could easily do it in a fight!_ That burst of hope mounting, the reborn priestess looked over at Sango. _I should talk to her about this! I need to...!_

But before Kagome could even make a move, something else came to her. Her own words to InuYasha. _ No...I promised him that I wouldn't do anything or try and talk to Sango about this until after Michiru had recovered and they got back from the mountains,_ she reminded herself with a sense of reluctance, that flash of hope quickly dimming. _And...if I _was_ wrong about Michiru...then I don't want to make things worse by breaking my word as well..._

Heaving a deep sigh, reminding herself that, until her throat healed and she was able to speak again, she was in no position to argue a point, Kagome lowered her eyes to the ground. _I really want to be right..._ she couldn't help but think. _I don't want...to have killed my friends..._

* * *

_I killed them all..._ Miroku thought as he stood a distance from the others, absently examining the palm of his hand, the cursed hand that held the Wind Tunnel. A generational curse that would eventually kill him as it had his father and grandfather before him, a curse that was his greatest weapon. A weapon that had been rendered useless in the latest battle by Naraku's latest incarnation.

Miroku looked at his hand...because it was easier than looking at those that he considered his friends. Easier than thinking about what his selfishness had wrought.

When Miroku had come up with his theory regarding the Reikikaega and the modern jet they had found, it had been inevitable that he also realized just how serious the impact of his own actions had been. That it had been his desire to keep Sango by his side, no matter what it cost anyone else, that had once result to the doom of everything.

_Totosai confirmed that the Reikikaega was far too sophisticated and powerful to have been made in this time,_ Miroku reminded himself, glancing over towards the aged blacksmith, who was standing ready with Momo the bull. _And we found it in the jet, a vehicle from the future. Clearly, they must have come forward from the future, using a method other than the Bone-Eaters Well, something we know that the power of the Shikigami can accomplish under the correct circumstances, and with the proper assistance. Utsugi bringing Michiru to this time originally proves that much. And the fact that we would resort to something like that indicates that the situation must have been critical. Leaving no other hope for victory...or even survival._

This all made sense to Miroku. It had made sense when he had first proposed this theory to his friends, and it made sense now. And at the same time, it also paved the way for his complicacy in everything that happened.

The infighting that had resulted of his deceit had certainly damaged their ability to trust in each other. Miroku had seen it for himself when he had witnessed the outrage on the faces of his teammates when he had come to their aid. And if not for the fact that they had been both distracted by the mystery of the jet and the Reikikaega, the team would likely have been focused on arguing amongst themselves then they had been. Or it could be that, without the discovery of the jet to prompt Michiru to stop his wrathful retaliation against Miroku during their fight, the outcome would have been worse. Whatever the case, there was no doubt that Kagome's anger towards Michiru and the other's mistrust of Miroku himself had made things worse during the battle, something made even more critical due to the fact that Naraku had attacked on the night of the new moon, when InuYasha lost his demonic powers.

_What I mean is that you divided us, Miroku! Because of what you did, we were fighting against each other! We didn't _trust_ each other! _came Sango's voice in the monk's mind. _And if it weren't for the fact that InuYasha and I saw through your deception, we might well have still been fighting amongst ourselves when Kagura and the rest of Naraku's forces showed up! And if that had happened, then all of us and everyone in Tsuzumi Village would likely be _dead_ right now!_

_Sango..._ Miroku sighed inwardly as he looked over at the tormented woman warrior. _You always were as wise as you are beautiful..._

But even as he looked at Sango, he took note of Michiru. The weakened Shikigami User remained perched on Kirara's back, and his eyes rested on the Demon Slayer, an expression of sorrowful concern marking his features.

Sighed miserably at this latest reminder of Sango's choice, that she had turned away from Miroku and had declared her love for Michiru, the monk thought back to something that had happened earlier that very day, when he had first gone to the warehouse to see how the preparations for shipping the supplies were progressing.

Miroku had been making his way through the village, lost in his own thoughts and burdened by the ugly reality that had become his price to pay for his misdeeds, when he had encountered a trio of exquisitely beautiful girls on their way to clean some laundry. They had been such lovely things, full of bosom and ample posteriors, and were so pretty and cheerful. They were the kind that Miroku loved to tell fortunes to, to ask to bear his children, or even cop a quick feel if he had the chance.

But Miroku had done none of those things. He had not approached then, had not spoken to them. He had barely even looked as the three girls went about their business. Even his cursed hand, so quick to accost Sango even without his consent, had not reacted to their presence.

Miroku had felt no desire, no lust, none of his normal urges as the three girls had passed him by. All he had felt...was hollow and empty.

_Because I'd lost the woman I _truly _loved. And none of them, while beautiful...can compare with Sango..._ Miroku thought, his shoulders slumping as he watched Michiru guide Kirara towards the lovely woman warrior. _And it's because of those things...because of who I am...that I lost her..._

As Miroku watched Michiru approached Sango, careful to keep as tight a grip as possible on Kirara as he spoke to her, the monk couldn't help but avert his eyes. He couldn't bear to look at the woman he had loved and lost turning towards the Shikigami User and smile, couldn't deal with another reminder that she had given her heart to Michiru, and that it was his to keep.

_I had planned on telling Kagome the truth. Convincing her that I truly am to blame for this,_ Miroku thought miserably, considering his depowered Wind Tunnel, the loss of the trust his friends had once had in him. Then he looked over at Momo, considered his plans to go to Mushin, to see what could be done about his cursed hand. And most of all, he thought about what it would be like to continue to watch the woman he had loved and had once hoped to wed in Michiru's arms from now on, knowing that she was forever lost to him. _But perhaps it would be...better for everyone...if I simply left...and did not return..._

* * *

Though Michiru had not been with the group that long compared to the others, he had come to know their moods and the way they expressed them fairly well. And although Sango was certainly gifted at internalizing her emotions, keeping what she felt buried safely beneath the surface, the Kururugi boy knew her well enough to know when she was upset; the way her expression hardened, her movements stiffened. Precise, almost machinelike, every movement and word terse and to the point, but still holding a tremor to it. Betraying something deep inside that threatened to burst forth.

Sango was hurting on the inside. And more importantly, Michiru knew what was causing her this pain. More than just the agony of having to choose between himself and Miroku. More than the fact that her Hiraikotsu had been completely destroyed. Something even more terrible now haunted her.

Earlier that day, Totosai had been explaining to them what he had discovered about the Reikikaega and its powers, and how it had the ability to manipulate living souls and control magical and spiritual forces, to transform a person's aura and thus transform them as well. And most of all, it had a power akin to that of the Tenseiga; the power to bring back the dead.

A power that Jiro and Azusa had been quick to demand InuYasha use to bring back the many Demon Slayers and wolf-demons that had been killed as a result of Toma's and Naraku's manipulations.

Totosai had insisted that doing something like that would be a horrible mistake, especially considering the fact that they still knew so little about the Reikikaega and its full potential. But Jiro and Azusa had insisted, and even Shippo and Sango had been reluctant to challenge them, their own past tragedies likely tempting them with the possibility of being reunited with their loved ones.

Frustrated by his inability to convince them of the risk, Totosai had demonstrated the danger of invoking the Reikikaega's power by actually doing so, slashing Sango, Shippo, Jiro, and Azusa with the magical blade. The result was that the two demons had been transformed into mortal animals, a fox and a wolf, while the Demon Slayers had metamorphosed into monstrous, muscle-bound ogres.

The transformations had only been temporary, but in the brief time they had been changed, all four had been deeply affected. Shippo had broken down sobbing the instant he had reverted, and even the fiery she-wolf Azusa had plainly been disturbed. During his time as an ogre, Jiro had gone on a violent rampage and had visibly been disturbed by his actions after he had reverted. And as for Sango...

_I can barely believe that was actually her..._ Michiru couldn't help but think as he continued to look at the woman he loved and tried to reconcile the person that was crouched next to Kanna, doing her best to comfort the former incarnation, with the creature she had become under the Reikikaega's influence. Not only had she become massively muscled and bestial, but she had eagerly hefted him up in her arms, pressed him against a tree so she could rub her exposed breasts up and down his body, kissing him relentlessly, and giving voice to intentions that he would _never _have been able to imagine Sango speaking of before.

On the one hand, Michiru could definitely feel his body reacting with pleasure to Sango's advances, and under normal circumstances, he would never have objected to being kissed so passionately by her or any of the rest of it. But at that time, he had been caught between fear, shock, concern, and shame. Fear because Sango had become far stronger and had been stripped of much of her normal inhibitions, meaning that her advances could have become a serious threat to his life and limb, shock that Sango could say or do any of the things she had done in her transformed state, concern for what would happen when she reverted or even if she would revert, and shame for feeling any amount of pleasure in her ministrations. For being utterly powerless to do anything to help her, or himself.

_I know she must be upset about what she did,_ Michiru thought as he continued to look at her. _And the way she kept transforming...almost turning into a _full_ demon...I know she must be freaked out about that._

But just as Michiru knew this, he also knew that Sango would never admit to feeling that way. She was so used to taking whatever torments she felt and burying them away, keeping them as far out of sight and out of mind as was possible for her. Keeping them buried away so she wouldn't have to deal with them, so they wouldn't get in her way. But he knew that she still felt those things. And he was certain that, like Michiru, she was being tormented by what she had done.

_So what do I do?_ Michiru asked himself, trying to think of some way of helping the woman he loved. _If I try to get her to talk about it, she'll refuse. She'll just keep...bottling it up inside._

For a moment, Michiru considered what to do. He briefly considered letting it go, at least for a brief time. Hachi would soon be loaded with enough supplies to take to the mountains, and once he and Sango were there, it seemed likely that he would have more time to help her deal with what had happened. Especially if Jiro was right and the Demon Slayers could accelerate his recovery.

But almost as soon as this thought occurred to him, Michiru dismissed it. Sango had already experienced far more suffering over the course of her life, lost so much, been through so much. The notion that she now had a fresh burden of guilt to bear up under twisted Michiru's insides. The idea of sitting idly by and doing nothing, of being helpless once more, was even worse.

_But what can I do? How can I get her to talk to me? How can I get her to understand that I'm not angry with her or that -?_ Michiru wondered, only for his eyes to round as a metaphorical light bulb lit up into existence over his head. A sudden jolt of inspiration quickly giving rise to an idea.

He wasn't certain if it would work. But as far as Michiru was concerned, anything was better than to sit around, doing nothing but watch Sango suffer.

_Besides, it's not like we have to take off at the same time as Hachi,_ Michiru reminded himself as he glanced over at the increasingly burdened tanuki. _And if it helps Sango..._

His plan in mind, Michiru murmured, "Kirara, take me over to Sango, please." The two-tail issued a slightly surprised growl but soon complied. Careful to maintain as tight a grip as possible on the demonic cat and once again cursing Ryuunosuke, the incarnation of Naraku that had possessed him, turned his Shikigami powers against his friends, and in the process overused his powers and overwhelmed his body to the point where he couldn't even get out of his bed without the help of his friends, let alone take care of other, more personal matters, the Shikigami User made sure to remain stable as they approached the lovely warrior. "Uh, Sango...?"

Starting at the sound of his voice, Sango then looked about to see Michiru a short distance away. "Oh..." she breathed, her voice and expression still carefully controlled as she held Kanna close to her. "Sorry...I was just...thinking of something."

_And I think I know what that something was,_ Michiru thought mournfully. Aloud, he said, "Uh, Sango...I hope you don't mind, but..."

Trailing off as he considered how best to say this, Michiru hesitated long enough for Sango to ask, "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"Uh..." Michiru hesitated, prompting a few looks from the others. "No, nothing's...wrong. But..." Pausing to take a deep breath, the Shikigami User forced a smile onto his face. "Actually...before we go, there's something that...I need to show you."

Her brows furrowing with confusion, Sango hesitated before replying, "What..._now?"_ Noises of confusion issuing from her lips, the Demon Slayer looked perplexedly at the Shikigami User before adding, "Uh...Michiru, we...Hachi's almost fully loaded! We have to leave soon!"

"It'll only take...a few minutes," Michiru promptly assured her even as Kirara positioned herself so that he was even closer to her. "Besides, it's not like...we have to leave at the same time as Hachi."

Sango opened her mouth to answer, but for a moment, only silence escaped her as she looked over at the girl that still clung to her. "But...what about Kanna?"

"Well, she can come with us," Michiru quickly replied, giving Kanna a kindly look. "Sango, I know this is sudden, but...this _really _is important. And...it's probably going to be a while...before we come back, so..."

As Sango frowned more deeply, InuYasha spoke up from off to the side. "Eh, why not?" the half-demon declared, prompting the Demon Slayer to look about. "Go on ahead."

Giving the half-demon a surprised look, one that said that she had expected him to be angered at any form of delay, Sango asked, "Are you sure, InuYasha?"

"Course I'm sure!" InuYasha declared. "Like Michiru said, it's not like you and Hachi have to take off at the exact same time!"

Turning his eyes towards his friend, Michiru smiled, "Thanks, InuYasha."

"Just be sure not to spend a lot of time, doing whatever you have in mind," InuYasha snidely retorted with a wry look. "The sooner you go, the sooner you can get better, remember?"

Painfully aware of how much of a burden his condition had made him to the others, Michiru replied, "Don't worry, this won't take long." Then he returned his attention to the woman he loved. "So...Sango, please?"

Several seconds expanded into an eternity before Sango sighed and gave a weary smile. "Well...as long as it's alright with Kanna." Then she looked down at the little girl and asked, "What do you think, Kanna? Are you alright, coming along with me?" Nervously meeting Sango's gaze, Kanna hesitantly gulped and nodded, still clinging tightly to her. "Alright, then," the Demon Slayer replied just before looking once more at InuYasha. "We'll be back soon."

"Alright, Kirara," Michiru spoke, pointing off to the side. "That way." As the two-tail started off, following his directions, the Kururugi boy found himself hoping that this would work...

* * *

_What does Michiru have in mind?_ Sango couldn't help but wonder as she followed the Shikigami User and Kirara, Kanna clinging tightly to her every step of the way. _Where are we going? And what's so important that it...it couldn't wait until we got back from the mountains?_ Then she frowned slightly and wondered, _Does it have to do...with what happened earlier? When I was...transformed?_

Sango still couldn't believe what had happened to her earlier that day. More importantly, she honestly didn't _want _to believe it. In spite of having replaced the sandals and chest bindings that had been obliterated as a result of her being transformed by the Reikikaega. And despite once again being fully human and looking perfectly normal on the outside, she still felt sick on the inside. Sick at having all of the lust, rage, desire, and so much more that she normally kept under control being unleashed in a monstrously powerful body that was free to do whatever she wanted. And with her desires unleashed, all of her moral constraints blown away by her transformation, Sango had not only treated Michiru like a toy, but she had come dangerously close to doing something absolutely unforgivable.

_Of course...it wouldn't have been the first time I'd done something like that..._ Sango thought miserably, recalling her confrontation with Miroku. And how she had blackmailed him into confessing his sins regarding Michiru, using the threat of judgment and possibly death at the hands of the alliance to force him into doing so. _I've caused Michiru...I've caused _everyone..._so much pain..._

Even as Sango was losing herself in the guilt and shame she did her best to keep buried away, her ears pricked at Michiru saying, "Ah, there it is."

Looking up in surprise, Sango realized that Kirara had come to a halt, and Michiru was looking towards a nearby building. "What is that?" she wondered as she studied the small building and its ornate design. "Is that a shrine?"

"It's called the Promise Shrine," Michiru explained with a wan smile. "I heard about it...the first time we were in Tsuzumi Village. And while I was...helping with construction...I found it." Then he looked over at Sango and smiled warmly, blushing slightly as he admitted, "I...I wanted to take you here...for a while now."

Glancing between Michiru and the Promise Shrine and back again, Sango wondered, "Why? What's so special about it?"

"I'll...show you. I..." Michiru started, only to frown as he shifted about. "Uh...Sango...?"

Not needing for Michiru to finish his sentence, Sango made her way to his side. Gingerly wrapping her arms about the Kururugi boy, she gently aided him in dismounting Kirara. "Thanks," the Shikigami User smiled in appreciation. "Now...could you...help me up the stairs?"

"Of course," Sango replied, only to hesitate when she realized that someone was still clinging to her like she was a lifeline. "Uh, Kanna...could you please wait with Kirara? Just for a moment?" As the timid former incarnation looked up at the Demon Slayer in clear surprise and renewed fear, Sango smiled and reassured her, "We'll be right here the whole time, I promise. We won't be out of your sight, not even for a moment, and Kirara will keep an eye on you. Alright?"

Blinking a few times in rapid succession, Kanna glanced fearfully at the mighty two-tailed demon cat before fearfully asking, "P-promise?"

"Promise," Sango assured her, pausing to rub her head.

Slowly and very reluctantly, Kanna relinquished her grip on Sango, allowing the woman warrior to assistance Michiru up the stairs of the Promise Shrine. As she did so, Kirara angled her two tails so that they protectively encircled the former incarnation, making sure to do so slowly so as to not startle the fearful girl.

Sadly watching as Kanna curled up against Kirara, fearful of virtually the entire world now, Sango assisted Michiru in climbing the stairs of the Promise Shrine. "Alright, Michiru...what's so important about this shrine?" she asked when they finally reached raised flooring surrounding the shrine proper. "Why'd you want to come here?"

Heaving a deep breath as he leaned against the wall of the shrine, Michiru looked at Sango as the two held each other. "This shrine is called the Promise Shrine...because it's where young couples come...to confess their love. To promise to be there for each other...to love each other," he explained with a warm smile. "So I thought that...I should bring you here. To promise you all of that...and more."

Blinking a few times in surprise, Sango then sighed and smiled at this sweet gesture. "Michiru, I...

"Sango...I promise you to that...what I feel is true. That I really do love you...and I want to be with you," Michiru assured her, moving in for a gentle kiss. "And it doesn't matter what happens. If you're sick or in pain or any of that, I want to be with you." Punctuating this statement with another kiss, he added, "And no matter what happens...you can talk to me about it. You can trust me."

Sango was about to say that she did trust him, but even as she opened her mouth, she realized what he was saying, and felt her heart sink. "Wait...Michiru...?"

"Sango...you don't have to...try and deny it," Michiru told her, his expression hardening slightly. "Remember what I said...back on Mount Houoh? That's it's okay for you to laugh and cry...and feel whatever you feel? That you don't have to hide anything from us?"

Her insides twisting about in guilt as she realized the thrust of Michiru's question, Sango sighed miserably and said, "Some things...I _do _have to hide..."

"No, you don't," Michiru promptly assured her. "Whatever happened back there, it wasn't your fault."

"Yes, it was," Sango promptly replied, not sure if she was talking about her actions during her transformation, her blackmailing of Miroku, of her other actions that had resulted in suffering, or some combination of the above. "I...should have been able to...to do something else. I should have..."

"No, Sango. It was the Reikikaega and its power. It changed you, the same way it changed Kanna," Michiru assured her. "Whatever happened, it wasn't your fault."

"But...Michiru...those things...what I did...they came from _inside _of me!" Sango declared, gesturing at herself as she spoke with even greater shame. "I _wanted _it! _All _of the things I did, I wanted it! That sword...it took away all of my restraint, all of my concerns and fears, and I _reveled _in it!" Shaking her head with greater shame, she mournfully declared, "You have no idea what I was about to do when Miroku changed me back! I...I didn't care that the others were there, or anything else! I just wanted...I was going to -!"

Sango was cut off when Michiru again kissed her, placing his lips upon her own with as much effort as he could muster. Surprised by this unexpected act, the Demon Slayer almost resisted, but as the tender emotion of this act filled her, she let go of her pain, if only for a moment. And so she clung to that moment and Michiru alike with all her heart.

Unfortunately, even a moment spread out into infinity was only a moment, and still passed all too quickly. And when the two of them finally broke their kiss, Michiru looked squarely into Sango's eyes. "What happened wasn't your fault, Sango," he gently assured her. "And whatever you were afraid _would _happen...didn't." Heaving a deep breath, he went on to say, "As far as me or any of the others are concerned...you did nothing wrong. So if we can...accept what happened...and forgive you...why can't you forgive yourself?"

_Because _I'm _the one who has to live with the responsibility of what I did. And _would _have done,_ Sango couldn't help but think. She didn't give voice to this, however; she knew that Michiru was doing best to comfort her, to make her feel better, despite his own condition. And the last thing she wanted was to make him feel like his efforts were in vain.

Besides, Sango truly did appreciate what he was doing. And to an extent, it had taken an edge off of her guilt, despite not dispelling it entirely.

So instead she said, "Michiru...you know that things...won't be easy for us." When he frowned slightly, Sango went on to explain, "We're still from two very different worlds. And...making a relationship work between us...that will take a lot of work." But even as her statement caused Michiru's eyes to droop somewhat, she managed a slight smile. "But I _will _do whatever I can...to make things work out between us. To be with you. That's..._my _promise."

His expression brightening almost immediately, Michiru smiled with as much heart as he could muster. "Mine, too," he told Sango before once again kissing her. With this kiss lasting the longest of any they had exchanged at the Promise Shrine.

It was all too soon when the two of them finally parted, with Sango pausing to recover from their kisses before going on to say, "C'mon. We need to get going. Like InuYasha said, the sooner we get to the mountains, the sooner you can get better."

Nodding, Michiru replied, "Right."

It was with incredible reluctance that the two of them altered their embrace so that Sango was supporting Michiru so as to aid him in going back down the stairs. Forced to rely almost entirely on the Demon Slayer to remain on his feet, the Kururugi boy's legs were constantly threatening to buckle beneath him, sending him spilling down the stairs.

Saddened as always to be reminded of just how frail Michiru remained after their latest battle, Sango sighed inwardly. _And he was still more concerned about my feelings than his own,_ she couldn't help but think. _Michiru, I -_

Michiru's foot slipped off the step he was descending upon. Whether there was something on it or the board was loose, Sango didn't know. All she knew was that, in an instant, the Kururugi boy was sent tottering horribly off-balance, causing him to slip partly out of her arms.

_"Michiru!"_ Sango cried out in surprised horror as he tumbled forward. It didn't matter that they were only a couple steps off the ground and that a fall wouldn't be likely to hurt him badly. At that moment, the idea of him suffering more than he already had was unbearable.

The Kururugi boy tottered forward as Sango worked to regain her grip, but Michiru's tumble was pulling them both off-balance, and it seemed certain that they would crash down together. Right until Kirara darted up to them, providing a safe cushion for them to fall upon.

"Oh!" Sango cried out, the wind driven out of her lungs by their sudden fall. Startled by both the impact and the unexpected nature of their rescue, the Demon Slayer required a few moments to recover before smiling in relief and gratitude. "Thanks, Kirara. I really - huh?"

"Uh..." Michiru groaned even as Sango looked towards him, and realized that he had had a closer call than she had because he had not been able to support his own weight. But luckily enough, he had had another person involved in saving him from crashing to the ground.

To Sango's utter astonishment, Kanna had her arms wrapped around Michiru's legs and was helping to brace him up enough that he had landed safely against Kirara instead of crashing to the ground. When the Kururugi boy had started falling, the former incarnation must've thrown herself towards him almost instantly in order to help him.

Realizing that Michiru could not right himself, Sango quickly recovered and once again braced herself beneath him. "I've got him, Kanna," the Demon Slayer assured the little girl, still recovering from the astonishment that the timid creature she had become had acted so quickly and so decisively. "You can let go now."

As Kanna peaked out from the other side of Michiru's frame, Sango could see that her eyes had been screwed shut. Only now was she slowly opening them, looking nervously from the Demon Slayer up towards Michiru's face. And as Sango followed her gaze, she saw Michiru, though clearly as surprised as Sango was, smile gratefully at the little girl. "Yeah. But thank you, Kanna," the Kururugi boy told her, reaching down to gently massage her cheek. "I really do appreciate that."

For a time, Kanna just looked up at Michiru in shock, as if wondering why he was doing this, or possibly even why she had acted in the way she had to begin with. But after a short time, the shock slowly faded from her expression...and in its place, a tiny, tiny smile appeared.

As Sango looked at the two of them together, she couldn't help but smile. _Things _will _be difficult in the future. There's still so much that needs to be done...for all of us._ Then she sighed and again ran her free hand through Kanna's hair. _But...maybe we can do it. Maybe we can...make it work..._

* * *

_I think I'm gonna be sick..._ the old man muttered inwardly as he dismissed the image of those of his blood from the future world, as well as their companions. _What could get someone of my blood to spout such idealistic nonsense...?_

Reminding himself that he had once been young and foolish in that way, and figuring that a few years of hardship would knock some sense into the boy, providing he lived that long, the old man considered the matter. "Well, we know what's got those idiots interested in that village; that metal bird's got enough raw power locked up inside of it to rip this blasted world apart!" he declared, wondering how in blazes a monstrosity like that had come to exist. "Those idiots are probably figurin' on making weapons or whatever out of it."

Disgusted by the fact that the world was so jam-packed with idiots, looking for new and better ways to kill and destroy, the old man turned towards identifying the driving force of this unfolding situation. And so his focus elsewhere turned towards a great darkness and cruelty, the kind of which he had encountered only once before...

* * *

_One jar..._ Naraku raged inwardly, those two words running through his mind, carrying with them wrath, spite, malice, and disbelief far in excess of what would seem possible.

He had worked and planned so long for his assault on InuYasha and his pathetic band of misfits. After they had cost him the opportunity to take command of the wolf-demon tribe and thus spread his influence to the other tribes of demons in that area, he had decided to take advantage of the situation. He had known that Utsugi's descendant had been working to return to this time, and had even been aware that he had a sister that might well join him. And so he had used what knowledge and abilities he had been able to obtain during his brief alliance with Utsugi to craft Ryuunosuke, a creature born of his flesh that had been crafted for the sole purpose of claiming the power of Utsugi's bloodline for him, and more importantly, had been faultlessly loyal to Naraku, with no chance of rebelling like Kagura was wont to.

Naraku had spied on InuYasha and his feeble friends, took note of the rift that the monk had created amongst them, and had decided to move quickly, to take advantage of this betrayal before they could rebuild the bonds between them. He had worked tirelessly to make certain that, not only would InuYasha and his feeble allies would be destroyed and the power of the spirits would, at last, be his, but their destruction and that of Tsuzumi Village would furnish him with a legion of new incarnations to command, as well as a new body, all created by the superior demonic flesh that Ryuunosuke would provide for him.

And in the end, Naraku had lost both Kanna and Kohaku, though the latter could still be brought under his control at any time. And instead of enough raw demonic flesh for the legions and new body he had envisioned, all he had succeeded in claiming was one lone jar.

_Just enough...for _one _new incarnation..._ Naraku fumed once more, still unable to fathom that his grandiose scheme had been utterly ruined by the appearance of two unforeseeable rogue elements that seemingly appeared out of nowhere. _And now, InuYasha and his friends have that strange sword, but they also have the metal bird and all the power it contains! Power that is rightfully _mine_!_

Naraku _would _get the bird, of course. And more importantly, he would find a way of claiming the sword that InuYasha had used to ruin his plans. For if the sword was capable of empowering the metal bird, it could do so for him. Creating the raw material for many powerful new weapons and armors for him to use.

_And if it can transform Kanna into a full human..._ Naraku thought, his malicious mind seething with new possibilities. _Then it can allow me to complete my transformation. And leave the last of Onigumi's worthless human weakness behind...!_

With these possibilities dancing in his mind, Naraku then returned to the present, and the ugly realities he faced. His forces decimated, it would take some time to recover from disaster. And in that time, InuYasha and his friends would certainly do everything they could to lick their wounds and even exploit the new resources they had claimed. _Unless I can keep them...suitably occupied. And a few whispered rumors about the metal bird...should go a long way in accomplishing that..._ Smiling at the thought of the misery a few power-hungry fools could cause, Naraku added, _And that will give me the time I need...to craft the _ultimate _incarnation of my flesh..._

Plans already taking shape within his mind, Naraku muttered, "Kagura."

A few moments later, Kagura appeared with the usual scowl that she wore around her creator. "What?"

Naraku scowled slightly at the attitude displayed by his second incarnation. Kagura was rebellious in the extreme and desired nothing more than to see him dead, to be free of him, with only the fact that he held her heart keeping her in line. But more and more, it felt like that wasn't enough; while she had succeeded in retrieving Kanna's mirror, she had failed to dispose of Kanna and had lost Kohaku to InuYasha and his pitiful group. And though Naraku had no proof, he had little doubt that these failures had been intentional. At the very least, a way for Kagura to spite him.

But as much as he wished otherwise, Naraku couldn't afford to simply dispose of Kagura, not after such a telling loss. So as he thought about how he would one day make her scream, he ordered her, "I'm sending you on a mission. It seems that Kurogasa...has returned."

Her eyes widening in clear shock, Kagura retorted, "What?! But that samurai fool has been in hiding ever since his village was wiped out! What is he doing?!"

"I suspect that he's been lurking in the shadows for some time now. Keeping out of my sight, but still searching for an opportunity to strike," Naraku explained. "And given the timing of his reappearance...I think it's obvious what he's after."

Her eyes narrowing, Kagura muttered, "The metal bird. He must have seen its transformation."

"And now he seeks its power for his own use. Which means he's certain to encounter InuYasha," Naraku muttered. "Therefore, I want you to seek him out and kill him before that happens. I do not need for InuYasha to gain another ally."

Frowning bitterly like she had just bitten into an overripe lemon, Kagura muttered, "Whatever. I'll go."

"Good. But whatever the outcome...do not return to the castle until I summon you," Naraku went on, punctuating this order with a piercing glare. "I have important work to attend to that requires my utmost concentration. I cannot afford any disturbances."

Heaving a deep sigh, Kagura continued to scowl. Naraku was certain that she was suspicious of his demand for privacy, but at the same time, her hatred for him would make her too eager to spend time away from him and the castle. Giving him the time and privacy he needed for his next move. "Very well, then," the Incarnation of the Wind muttered. "I'll tend to Kurogasa."

_I very much doubt that. But such a task will keep too preoccupied to interfere with my work,_ Naraku thought even as Kagura turned on her heel and left. _And it will keep you from interfering as I...recruit my new warriors. Warriors that will help to keep InuYasha and his friends...suitably occupied while I work..._

Once alone in the central chamber of this cruel castle that was steeped in the darkness of greed and maliciousness, Naraku made his way over towards a nearby shelf, where lay Kanna's mirror. The object of silver and glass was all but useless now, it's powers drained away by InuYasha's new sword. But Naraku still had one use left for it.

Making his way back to the lone jar of demonic flesh that he had been able to salvage, Naraku dropped the mirror into it. Watching as it sank into the depths of the jar, he took a deep breath and set about his work. "Soon, I'll have a band of powerful new warriors at my command," he muttered as a deathly light began to well up around him, light that came from the arcane symbols he had inscribed on the floor. "And they shall give me all of the time I need to craft you...my ultimate weapon..."

Heaving a deep breath, Naraku began his invocation. "Lion of the flame..." he intoned, even as something lit up nearby. For on a nearby podium, there stood a red statue of a lion perched on a base inscribed with a highly detailed pentagram. A statue that even now glowed like a flame burning bright.

"Bear of the ice..." Naraku continued as another statue lit up, this one a blue-white bear. "Falcon of the sky...bull of the stone...koi fish of the river...wolf of the thunder...snake of the wood...turtle of metal..." With each title invoked, another statue lit up with its own elemental power. "Dragon of the light...and yatagarasu of the darkness." As the last two statues lit up, one a serpentine dragon, and the other, a three-legged crow, their powers became more intense, filling the chamber. "Heed me, spirits of nature, and reveal your powers. Unleash the power at your command, and fill my creation with your strength!"

With the invocation complete, the ten statues reacted to Naraku's command, sending forth their power to one another, connecting with one another to form a massive pentagram that surrounded both him and the jar of flesh that stood before him. "Yes, spirits of nature! Combine your powers! Give me your might!" Naraku commanded, his arms spread out wide to his sides as their power built up above him. "Break the barriers! Summon the power of _Seiryu, the Azure Dragon!"_

With these words, the powers unleashed united in the air above him, manifesting all ten of the Shikigami that represented the Kururugi family's powers of the forces of nature. And as the serpentine dragon circled the room, the remaining nine spirits infused the dragon with their might, causing it to change colors from a brilliant white to a shining azure. Roaring with power, the dragon circled about the room for a while before exploding in a wave of elemental might that shot down upon the jar, and the demonic flesh that was held within.

"Yes...!" Naraku hissed, watching as the flesh bubbled eagerly with the power shining down upon it. Shaping the raw material into his greatest creation...

* * *

"Of all the...!" the old man furiously breathed. For even as detached and unconcerned as he tended to be with the affairs of the world at large, even he couldn't disregard what was happening. "How did this fool ever manage to get his hands on _those?!"_

"On what?" asked the girl next to him. "What is happening?"

The old man glared in her direction for a time before muttering, "Something that should never have happened. And that certainly complicates matters." Then he looked back to the mirror as it shifted to another image. "And it looks like we haven't seen the sum of our troubles!"

* * *

In a dismal part of Japan, where even the warm light of the sun could not chase away the perpetual darkness, a figure dressed in the skin of a white baboon made his way towards a raised section of earth. A figure that approached the length of dirt, holding up a tiny sliver of crystal before shoving it into the soil.

Several seconds passed as the figure observed the earthen mound, waiting patiently as the Sacred Jewel Shard penetrated the layers of soil and found its target beneath. Waited and watched as the earth began to shake, the bones hidden beneath growing new flesh...

* * *

"Dammit all..." the old man spat bitterly, unable to believe his rotten luck. "That complicates things even further!"

"What's going on, master?" the girl asked, her voice tense with concern. "What is going to happen?"

"I can't say for certain, girl," the old man grumbled disgustedly. "All I know for sure is that something dangerous is going to happen. It's happening right now." Scowling fiercely, he then looked her squarely in the eyes before grimly declaring, "And there's no chance of whatsoever of us being able to avoid getting mixed up in this mess."

Heaving a deep sigh and wondering just how many gods he must have offended to wind up in such a situation, the old man grumbled, "There's no doubt about it; this is gonna be one hell of a pain..."

* * *

Author's Notes: There you have it! The first chapter of the new "Legacy of the Cursed Mask" story! It was considerably longer than I had expected it to be, but even though it is mostly a recap chapter for those who didn't bother to read the first two stories (hint, hint), I hope that it was still entertaining, and shows a lot of what you can expect to see in this story.

Demons of the arch angel, the next sequel is here. And we'll have some InuYasha/Kaname moments soon.

Dragoon Swordsman, thank you for the kind words. I really do appreciate them. I definitely agree that Miroku's willingness to pass on the Wind Tunnel curse is unforgivable, which is one of the reasons I had Sango address that concern while considering whether to choose Michiru or Miroku. It's like having a child when you know you have HIV. Though to be fair, Miroku might not consider it that serious on the basis that, if his father or grandfather had abstained from having a child, he would not be alive.

BruceNadeauJr, I'm not sure about adding more time travel parts. I don't want to overuse it, and as Professor Paradox from Ben 10 once said, "Time traveling is for immortals and fools". As for your other question, I'm afraid you'll have to wait and see.

Uruz 11, Well, it took me longer to update this time, thanks to the various crises that is my life. Still, I hope this chapter was worth the wait. I am glad that you liked Miroku's explanation regarding everything, as well as its implications. Yup, there is some darkness on the horizon for everyone, but maybe it won't be as bad you think. Or maybe it will. Wyvern's knowledge is dangerous, but keep in mind that he's been conducting research using old legends and scraps left over from the past. Now he has direct access to the things he's been trying to research. Just think of him as being like Sara Harding from Jurassic Park II, who was perfectly fine with going solo to an island overrun with dinosaurs in order to research them. And you're right in that we don't want Naraku finding out about Miroku's theory.

Codyy, well, women tend to find muscular men attractive, so...

The main reason Michiru didn't protest was he was too busy being in shock over what happened to Sango and her actions towards him. And don't forget about Sango running her bare breasts over his body while she was transformed. You'll have to wait and see what kind of consequences Sango's transformation will have. And don't worry about Michiru. He's long past tired of being a Squishy Wizard and getting laid up so frequently. So expect to see him bulking up, as it were. Kaname, too.

As for that Michiru/Kagura story...perhaps when my spare time isn't nearly so spare.

Jetty1, I know painfully well what it's like to get hit hard by life. Trust me on that. An InuYasha/Mortal Hombat mix-up, huh? I'm not a fan of MK, but it should make for an interesting read. I can't say at the moment if the person who brought the jet back is still around. As for Sango, as you saw here, Michiru managed to encourage to tell him what was bothering her. As you saw, Michiru isn't at all mad about what Sango did while transformed. And you're right, no one has done a story with Michiru and Sango getting intimate. Perhaps we should talk about that.

Yup, things are going to be picking up between InuYasha and Kaname. And I've never cared for Kagome dealing with all her issues regarding InuYasha by sitting him, and her general mistrust and abusiveness towards him. It's just plain wrong.

Xthenjazziesaid, we will be seeing more character development from Kaname and Shippo, because of the situations they'll be facing. And I'm glad you agree that time travel should have taken advantage of in canon.

blackshadow340, as you see here, this story will start out as T, but I may change it to M later on.

TheAuthorofTime, I never said that Miroku was not intelligent; only that his lechery makes him extremely distasteful to me. As for Kagome, I will be addressing her current situation and her trying to deal with her illusion that she was living in a fairytale being broken. But don't expect her to change overnight; this is a very difficult thing for her to deal with, so she might wind up taking two steps forward, and one step back, if you get my meaning.

Deiru Tamashi, it took me longer to update than I'd expected, but I hope this was worth the wait.

Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint, that is high praise indeed. A lot's going to be happening in this story, so look forward to it.

LeonioAria Niru, well, I think it's best to leave what happened to the gang in their defeat by Naraku open to the imagination. For one thing, I'm not sure I can do such a tragic defeat justice, and two, it leaves a lot more in the way of possibilities open to me.

Fenikkusumaru, I'll be contacting you soon in regards to what will be happening next.


	2. Broken Spirits

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Legacy of the Cursed Mask: Battle Across Time

Chapter 2: Broken Spirits

"Oh...I don't know if I can do this..." Hachi groaned miserably.

"What do you mean, you don't know?!" Azusa grumbled as she sat astride the transformed tanuki, alongside Jiro and in front of the numerous bundles of supplies that they had recently finished secured to his massive flying form. "You already did a test liftoff, so we _know _you can still fly!"

"Well, yes, but...I've never had to fly while carrying so much!" Hachi nervously admitted, darting an anxious glance at the she-wolf. "And the mountains _are _a long ways away, so..."

"Look, I'm gonna make this _really _simple, stupid!" Azusa growled, clenching her fists. "Either you get us back home _right now,_ or I'll _skin you alive and turn you into -!"_

"Azusa, stop it. You're not helping," Jiro stated with a voice of strained patience. When the she-wolf turned her furious glare on him, he went on to add, "It _is _a long way back home, and Hachi is going to be carrying our weight _and _that of the supplies for the entire trip. That won't be easy."

Furrowing her brows at this, Azusa retorted, "Yeah, but -!"

"Could either of us do that?" Jiro broke in before she could get rolling again. "Carry all of this food and medicine all the way back to the mountains on our own?" Azusa opened her mouth to retort, only for her tongue to fall flat as she realized that she was incapable of retort in this case. Satisfied that the she-wolf was momentarily silenced, the Demon Slayer continued with, "Perhaps instead of making threats, we should be encouraging our new friend, and offering him thanks for the effort he will be making."

Noises of confusion and uncertainty sounded in Azusa's throat for a few seconds before she ultimately stuck her nose up in the air and folded her arms across her chest. "Hmph! Whatever!"

_It's nice to see _someone_ with some sense,_ InuYasha couldn't help but think, smirking at the way Jiro had left Azusa looking like an idiot. _Still, I can't wait for Hachi to get going as well...if only so there'll be one less scrawny wolf around here!_

As InuYasha looked on, studying the rest of the groups that would soon be departing for the mountains and the wolf-demon/Demon Slayer alliance, Jiro patted the transformed tanuki's back in a reassuring manner. "Hachi, I understand your concerns," he told him soothingly. "Just take it slowly, and fly low over clear ground. If you feel like you're having trouble, you'll be able to land and rest for a brief time."

"But not _too _long!" Azusa chimed in, darting a poisonous glare at the tanuki. "Unless you were in the mood for every demon in the area to pick up the scent of food and come after -!"

"Alright, _alright! _I get the idea!" Hachi moaned pathetically. Heaving a deep, wearied sigh, the transformed tanuki then gritted his teeth. "Oh, well...the sooner we get this over with, the sooner I can take a break..."

_And you'll _need _one after going on a trip with the bitchy wolf!_ InuYasha couldn't help but think as Hachi heaved a deep breath and began to grunt with effort. Moving so slowly that the half-demon could hardly see it, the massive blob that Hachi had become slowly lifted up off the ground. After several seconds, Hachi and the precious cargo he carried rose up above the roofs of the buildings before tentatively started towards the mountains.

"Goodbye, my friends," Jiro called out to the people below, waving farewell as he and the others slowly flew away. "May Buddha look over you."

"Yeah, whatever! Let's just get outta here!" Azusa grumbled derisively as she lay back and folded her arms behind her head. "Damn...the sooner we get back home..."

_Whatever! I'm just glad to be rid of _you,_ bitch!_ InuYasha thought even as Azusa's whiny voice faded away. Then the half-demon turned his attention to the next group that was even now making final preparations to depart. _The same way I'll be glad to get some space from _those _two..._

"Are you ready to go, Momo?" Totosai inquired of his three-eyed bull, who was presently chewing contently on a patch of grass. "We've got a lot of traveling ahead of us, boy. So I hope you're ready..."

Growling in his throat as he studied the aged demon that had so recently caused so much trouble for himself and his friends, InuYasha made his way over to Totosai. "You ready to go yet, old man?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, yes, almost," Totosai absently replied as he turned towards InuYasha. "Just letting Momo fill his belly a bit while they get themselves together."

As Totosai angled his head off to the side, InuYasha glanced about and watched as Miroku approached, with Shippo a short distance behind. "Sorry to take so long!" the little fox apologized as he bounded up to them, carrying a small satchel. "I had to get some more batteries and cards for Kagome's camera." A beat passed as the half-demon looked down at Shippo, who looked rather sheepish and explained, "Well, I figured...we were probably going to be gone for a while, and I wanted to record as much as possible for Kagome, and..."

"We understand, Shippo," Miroku nodded in a wearied manner, his few belongings bundled up and ready for travel. "And...it is very thoughtful and wise of you to take such things into consideration. After all, I...expect it will be some time before you return here, so..."

Frowning slightly at the monk's choice of words, InuYasha was brought back to the moment when Totosai spoke. "Listen, InuYasha...before we leave, I need to say something to you," the aged blacksmith began, his words heavy with concern. "I...I know that I made a grievous error earlier, using the Reikikaega as I did..."

"Gee, ya _think?!"_ InuYasha gruffly demanded, just the thought of that utter and complete fiasco enough to fan the flames of anger within.

"Now, I was upset about how the wolf-demon girl and the others...their lack of respect for the forces that exist beyond our kin, and...well, I honestly thought that I knew the sword well enough to..." Totosai began, only to trail off, his frown wrinkling his entire face. "But that's no excuse. No matter how angry or upset I was with them, it's no excuse."

"It sure isn't," Shippo muttered, making it clear through his voice that he still hadn't recovered from his own experience with the Reikikaega. "I...I really...!"

Pausing to glance down at the little fox even as he trailed off, the aged blacksmith sighed. "I know. And whatever my intentions, I had no right to do what I did. And I am deeply sorry to be responsible for whatever suffering you endured at my hands," Totosai assured the little fox. "And that is what I wanted to discuss with you, InuYasha. For as I already explained, from what I have been able to determine about the Reikikaega, it's powers are in violation of the laws that govern life and death. If it _truly_ is capable of what I think it is, if it really _can _revive a person more than once, then I can't help but fear that there may be _another_ price to be paid for using such power. And that frightens me."

"I'm pretty sure that I heard this speech the first time, old man," InuYasha grumbled impatiently.

"What I'm saying, InuYasha...is that just I am responsible for what happened as a result of my misuse of the Reikikaega, you also must be responsible for the results of wielding such power," Totosai carefully explained. "And so, I urge you _not _to use its power rashly. For while your intentions are good, those intentions may yet lead to the worst of consequences. For even if it truly can restore the dead back to life, to wield such power means that you must be responsible for the unforeseen consequences of such power. Consequences that may well be _far_ worse than the consequences of my own actions this day."

Despite the fact that he was still angry with the ancient blacksmith, InuYasha heaved a deep breath, for he couldn't help but admit that Totosai had a valid point. He had seen the consequences of Urasue's tampering with life and death in the form of Kikyo, her soul broken and split between herself and her current incarnation, Kagome. He thought of Enju and the animated army Urasue had been in the midst of creating. He thought of the corpse puppets Naraku had used, transforming his own victims into helpless slaves, capable only of acting out his cruelty.

As these and other consequences of tampering with life and death came to mind, InuYasha nodded. "I understand, old man," he slowly admitted, his hand falling upon the Reikikaega which now hung from his right hip. "But...if anything happens, and it looks like...this sword is the only way to save someone's life, then...I'm not gonna stand around and watch them die."

Several seconds passed in silence at this, silence that was only broken when Totosai finally nodded and answered, "That's fair. I can accept that." Heaving a deep sigh, the aged blacksmith looked about at his companions for this trip and asked, "Well, then...are we ready?"

"I am, Totosai," Miroku solemnly nodded.

"So am I," Shippo piped up. "Let's get on, and -!"

"Uh, hold on a second, Shippo!" InuYasha promptly broke in, holding up his hand to the little fox. When several eyes fell upon him, prompting the half-demon to give a slight smirk. "While you're at the Demon Slayer fort...I'd like for you to do a little favor for me. Okay?"

Blinking a few times in surprise, Shippo finally replied, "Uh, sure! But, uh...what kind of favor...?"

* * *

"There," Sango noted as she finished tying the last knot. Then she looked up at the boy she loved and asked, "Are you alright, Michiru? I didn't tie this too tight, did I?"

"No, I'm fine, Sango," Michiru easily answered, looking somewhat sheepish over the fact that he was presently tied securely to Kirara's back.

"We're really sorry about this, bro," Kaname assured her twin, sadness at Michiru's current state marking her features. "But...we couldn't take the chance of you falling off. And...well..."

"I understand, sis. Believe me," Michiru assured her as well, looking down at his weakened frame with a sense of disgust. "Though...the sooner I get my strength back, the happier I'll be."

_I know how he feels,_ Sango couldn't help but think, recalling the times when she had been rendered bedridden as the result of a battle. Of being utterly helpless to do anything on her own, of being forced to laze about, day after day, as her body slowly mended and recovered from whatever damage had been done to it. _I'm just glad that...as bad as things were...they weren't as bad as Miroku feels they may have been..._

Shuddering once more as she thought of the dread fate that Miroku predicted would have befallen them if things hadn't been different, Sango was brought short when she felt something tugging at her kimono. Issuing a noise of confusion, the warrior woman glanced down and noted the newest member of their little group at their side. "Kanna?" she began, looking at the transformed girl in surprise and concern. "Is something wrong?"

The little girl didn't answer right away, instead glancing between Sango and Kirara. But finally, she gulped nervously and asked, "Are...a-are you sure this...safe...?"

For a moment, Sango was about to ask why Kanna was suddenly so nervous, especially since she had flown in the past. But then the Demon Slayer remembered that when she had, she had been an incarnation of Naraku, had had no real emotions. Had literally been unable to feel fear at the prospect of falling from a great height. So with this in mind, she knelt down before her and said, "You've flown before, with Kagura, haven't you?" Gulping nervously, Kanna gave a slow nod. "And did Kagura ever let you fall when you flew with her?"

Considering this for a time, Kanna pressed her lips together before giving a tiny shake of her head. "N-no..."

Smiling at this, Sango placed her hand on the little girl's shoulder. "I promised Kagura that I would take care of you, Kanna. And I will," the Demon Slayer assured her in a warm voice that held no insincerity. Seeing not the creature that Naraku had created to bedevil them time and time again, but instead, an innocent that had been Naraku's victim from the very moment she had been brought into this world. "Now, if you want me to tie you down to Kirara as well, that's fine. But no matter your decision, I promise you; I won't let you fall."

Again, there was a heavy silence as Kanna considered these words. Again, she gulped nervously as she asked, "P-promise...?"

"Promise," Sango vowed, meaning every word. "Now, let me help you up. The sooner we take off, the sooner we can get to the mountains."

Shifting about nervously, Kanna then issued a shaky nod. Smiling in response, Sango gently wrapped her arms around the little girl and, moving slowly so as to avoid frightening her, lifted her up off the ground. The former incarnation instinctively gasped and grabbed Sango tightly, but she didn't panic and allowed herself to be placed upon Kirara's back without protest. "Are you alright?" the warrior woman asked once Kanna was securely positioned behind Michiru. "Would you like me to tie you down as well?"

A few seconds passed as Kanna visibly considered this, but eventually, the former demon shook her head. "I...n-no..." she fearfully murmured. "I..."

"You don't have to worry, Kanna," Kaname chimed in, offering the former incarnation a cheering smile of her own. "I'm sure Sango and Kirara will take good care of you, the same way they'll be looking after my bro, and - InuYasha!"

Starting at this name, Sango looked over her shoulder to see that the half-demon was indeed approaching. When a tiny gasp was heard, she quickly looked back to see Kanna cringing from him. "Whoa, easy! Calm down, Kanna," she told the tiny girl before taking up position between the half-demon and the former incarnation. "I'm sorry, InuYasha, but..."

"Naw, it's okay. I get the idea," InuYasha returned with a dismissive wave of his hand. "Sorry about that, Sango, but...well, I figured that, with everyone else on their way, I'd stop by here really quick, and...see you all off." Issuing a noise of understanding even as she nodded, the woman warrior looked on as the half-demon focused on what was quite likely his best friend. "You take care of yourself, Michiru, got that? The next time I see you, I want you back to full strength and then some!"

Smiling wanly, Michiru nodded. "I got it, but..." he began, pausing to frown slightly at the bonds that were needed to keep him astride Kirara, "...I don't think I'll be taking care of myself for a while, yet..."

"Just make sure that you get better, understood?" InuYasha ordered in a voice that was more friendly barking than bite. A beat passed before the half-demon frowned and said, "Oh, and...before you take off, there's...something I was meaning to ask you about." Taking note of this, Michiru looked up at his friend with a quizzical look. "Remember when we were in the jet, and it started transforming and I pulled you outta there?"

Michiru's face paled somewhat as he grimaced, "Uh...sorry, but...I've been trying to _forget _that for a while..."

The chagrined expression that spread across InuYasha's face it this made it clear he understood exactly what Michiru was saying. "Yeah, sorry. That..._was _pretty bad." Then he grunted in his throat and asked, "Anyway, like I said, there was something that bugged me about that night. When I pulled you out of that metal bird, you were trying to grab something. So...what was it?" After a moment of looking at his friend, Michiru issued a heavy groaned and lowered his eyes in dismay. "What?" the half-demon frowned, clearly confused by his friend's reaction. "Wait, you didn't leave anything important in that thing, did you?!"

"No, no, it's...it's not that..." Michiru hesitantly responded. "But...it's just that...that thing I was...trying to reach?" InuYasha nodded, urging his friend to continue, even as Sango and the others looked on curiously. "It was the lever that fires off the ejector seat."

"Oh!" Kaname immediately gasped, clearly understanding what her brother was saying. Which was more than Sango or any of the others could say, including InuYasha.

"E...ejector seat?!" InuYasha muttered out, shaking his head perplexedly. "What...what's that supposed to mean, anyway?!"

Before Michiru could speak again, Kaname gave a nervous smile and explained, "Well, you...jets like that are equipped with chairs that are designed to launch the pilot out of the jet and to a safe distance if the jet is damaged and about to crash."

"Really?!" Sango gasped, once again surprised by the devices that have come into existence in the five centuries between this world and the one her modern friends and companions came from.

Nodding, Kaname went on to say, "Once the seat is far enough away, it deploys a parachute to slow the fall." The confused looked of InuYasha and the other Feudal members of their group making it clear that they didn't understand what she was saying, the Kururugi girl tried again. "It's...you know how a sail on a boat works, right? It catches the wind so it can move across the water, right?" Pausing as her friends nodded, Kaname concluded, "Well, a parachute is sort of like that. It's a large cloth that catches the air so it can slow a person's fall, so they can land safely."

_A cloth that slows falls?_ Sango thought, trying to envision such a thing. _I never...but then, she's right. A sail _does _catch the wind to move a boat, so...why can't a parachute catch the air to -?_

"So - wait!" InuYasha got out, looking hard at Michiru. "You mean...if I hadn't pulled you out of the jet, you'd've been able to get us out of that thing safely?"

"Well...maybe..." Michiru hesitantly replied. "I...it might have...not worked, with the jet transforming, and..."

As Michiru trailed off helplessly, InuYasha gave a groan of patent disgust. "Great. That's just _perfect..."_ he muttered sourly, smacking himself in the forehead. "Damn...now I _really _feel like the idiot Kagome's always...!"

"InuYasha, no. You...you couldn't have known..." Michiru assured him.

"That's right," Kaname seconded, placing her hand upon his arm. "Besides, you and my bro are both okay. No one died, InuYasha. _That's _what important."

"Yeah, maybe..." InuYasha grumbled, shaking his head in a way that made it clear that he didn't feel the slightest bit reassured by his friends' words. "I just..."

"You didn't know, InuYasha. You were just...trying to save me..." Michiru assured him. "There wasn't...time to explain. And besides...Kaname's right. We're all still here, so...it's okay." The sour expression on InuYasha's face made it clear that he did not feel okay, not in the least. Leaving the Kururugi boy to sigh as he turned his gaze elsewhere. "Uh...listen, sis? Could you...do me a couple of favors?"

Starting at this sudden request, Kaname looked at her brother and replied, "Uh, sure, bro? What is it?"

"First, while I'm away...I'd like for you to...take care of Kagome for me..." Michiru explained, causing Kaname to gape at him in surprise. "You two have been fighting a lot, and...that has to stop. We're a team, and...we have to work together..."

"I know _that!"_ Kaname quickly protested. "But - Kagome, she's been such a bitch lately! Yelling at you, treating you like a criminal, and -!"

"I know. But...that's because she...didn't know the truth," Michiru stated, putting a bit more force into his weakened voice. "But...she _does _now, so...I'd like you to help her with her throat. Heal her, and...patch things up with her..."

Making a face at this, Kaname looked hard at her brother for a moment before sighing. "Okay, bro. If you say so...but I have to be honest; with the way she's been acting lately, I've _really _been appreciating her having to keep her mouth shut!" As these words prompted InuYasha to curl up the corner of his lip, the Kururugi girl sighed. "So...what else would you like me to do?"

"Could you give me a minute...to speak with InuYasha...?" Michiru pleaded, glancing over at the half-demon. "It's just...there's something I...wanted to talk to him about...before we left..."

Blinking a few times in surprise, Kaname then glanced between her brother and the half-demon and back again, clearly considering her sibling's request. But as she studied her brother, she gave a tiny, half-hearted sigh and nodded. "Okay, bro," she told him, moving up to embrace him. "And...you be sure to let Sango take care of you, okay? You're not slowing anybody down. Not anymore."

"Thanks, sis," Michiru replied, returning Kaname's embrace to the best of his ability. It was an embrace that lasted for several seconds before the Kururugi girl surrendered it and pulled away.

Looking sadly at her brother, Kaname sighed and gave Sango a sad smile. "Take care of my bro for me...okay, Sango?"

"I will," Sango promptly vowed, bowing her head with a look of compassion and certainty. Nodding in return, Kaname gave one more glance at her brother before sighing and turning to depart.

Watching as Kaname finally disappeared from view into a wooded area on the edge of the village, InuYasha then turned to Michiru. "Alright, what is it you wanted to say that you couldn't talk about in front of your sister?" he wondered, folding his arms across his chest and cocking his head to the side. "Or do I even need to ask?"

Issuing a tiny sigh, Michiru gave a slight shake of his head. "You probably don't, but..." Glancing off in the direction Kaname had departed in, the Shikigami User then looked at his friend. "Look...I know Kaname's been training hard, and...she's much stronger than I was when I left the first time. And...I know that she can take care of herself...for the most part..." Pressing his lips together, he then added, "But...I'd feel a lot better...if she didn't have to..."

"So you want me to keep an eye on her for you," InuYasha stated, looking Michiru squarely in the eye.

"Yeah," Michiru nodded. "I...like I said, I know she's a lot stronger than when I...came back the first time, but...there's still a lot going on that we don't understand, and...it's only a matter of time before Naraku comes after us again. And with us splitting up like this..." Pausing to swallow a lump of bile that had formed in his throat, he let his gaze drop somewhat before again looking into the half-demon's eyes. "InuYasha...you're my friend. And...well...there aren't many people that I'd trust with this, so..."

As Michiru trailed off, Sango couldn't help but smile at the clear trust that he had in the half-demon. And she was not the only one smiling; in response to the Kururugi boy's silence, InuYasha made his way up to him, moving slowly so as to avoid startling Kanna, and placed his hand upon his shoulder. "Don't worry about it," the half-demon assured Michiru. "Nothing's going to happen to Kaname. Not while I'm still around; you can count on that..."

Meeting his friend's gaze, Michiru heaved a deep breath before nodding. "I know," he finally replied. "Take care of yourself...InuYasha..."

"Same to you," InuYasha replied, clapping Michiru's shoulder once more before backing away. Then the half-demon looked Sango's way and stated, "You better get going. The sooner he's better and back here with us, the better I'll like it!"

"Agreed," Sango assured her friend. Turning to face Kirara and her riders, the Demon Slayer asked, "Are you ready?"

"Ready whenever you are..." Michiru assured Sango, while Kanna gave a belated and more fearful nod.

"Okay, then," Sango nodded. Moving carefully so as to avoid disturbing either Kanna or Michiru, she mounted Kirara. Once she was certain of her seat and her grip, the Demon Slayer looked upwards. "Alright, Kirara! Remember, stay low and take it slowly, okay?"

Kirara gave a thoughtful growl and nod of her head before her lower legs and tail lit up with flame. Gently easing herself into the air, the two-tailed feline began to stride forward in the air, making her way towards the mountains.

* * *

It was with a heavy heart that Kaname watched Kirara flying away, moving much slower and closer to the ground than she did normally. Carrying with her a good friend, a former enemy...and the brother that was so much a part of her life that she couldn't imagine losing him.

_This isn't the first time we've been apart since we came here,_ Kaname reminded herself, recalling Michiru and how he left with Sango, Kirara, and Koga to fetch some mushrooms for Robai. But even as she thought this, the Kururugi girl let go a heavy sigh before backing up a bit and then sinking down against a nearby tree. _But...still..._

Despite everything, Kaname couldn't help but be worried about her sibling. For while Jiro had been optimistic that the Demon Slayers would be able to restore Michiru's strength, she couldn't help but fear that something might go wrong, or that they might not be able to help, or something unforeseen would happen. Fears made that much worse by the fact that Michiru's strength was so badly faded that to even attempt to cast a spell could end in disaster for him. And they were flying into a situation that had been unstable before and could well be far worse now.

_The wolf-demons' and the Demon Slayers' supplies were extremely low on food when we left, so it must have gotten even worse since then,_ Kaname couldn't help but fret. _And the wolf-demons, they used to _eat_ people! If things are really bad now, what's to stop them from...from...?!_

As grim images of a war for survival began taking form in Kaname's thoughts, she hurriedly shoved them to the side even as she wrapped her arms around her frame and lowered her gaze. _I know _why _he has to go; with his powers drained like they are, he can't even move without someone's help, let alone defend himself. But..._

For a moment, Kaname considered things she could have done differently, only to reject them one by one. She knew that it wouldn't have been wise for her to accompany her brother to the mountains; with the group splintering the way it was, that would have left just InuYasha and Kagome to guard the jet and to keep an eye on Kohaku. And with the possibility of Naraku and other forces coming to look for such an artifact of power, that would have been far too dangerous for her friends and the people of this village. And using her own Shikigami powers to replenish Michiru's would not only have drained her strength as well, but in his current state and with her relative lack of experience, the odds of something going disastrously wrong with that were far higher than she wanted to think about. And talking Michiru out of going hadn't been an option, for the simple reason that he needed to recover his full power as quickly as possible.

And yet...

_Things were so bad between us...after he got back from his first time here,_ Kaname couldn't help but think, recalling how distant he had become. Wrapped up in a world that she had not been part of, a world of magic and demons and danger that she would never have believed in before. _There was that wall between us, and...I don't want to go back to that._ A moment passed as moisture welled up in the girl's eyes, as she involuntarily sniffled. _I don't want to lose my brother again..._

"Hey, Kaname!" came a sudden voice, one that jolted the Shikigami User and caused her to look up in surprise. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh - oh, InuYasha!" Kaname replied even as she looked up to see the handsome half-demon approaching. Hurriedly wiping her eyes of any sign of tears, the Kururugi girl rose back up to her feet and studied the silver-maned warrior.

"Are you okay?" InuYasha wondered as he studied Kaname's face. "Is something bothering you?"

"I, uh..." Kaname hesitated, uncertain as to what to say. For while she did appreciate InuYasha's concern, the fact was that she didn't want to burden him with her own concerns. Not after hearing of his own torments, of having him spill forth his hidden pain and fears, things that far eclipsed her own problems. "No, not really," she lied. A lie she followed with a downplayed truth. "Just...worried about my brother. That's all."

"Hey, you don't have worry about a thing! Sango will take care of him!" InuYasha immediately reassured her. "And when he gets back here, Michiru'll be as good as new! Hell, maybe even _better!"_

Again, those unspoken fears and uncertainties that loomed in Kaname's mind tried to return to the forefront of her thoughts. And again, she forced them to the side and forced a slight smile onto her face. "I know...it's just..." she paused, trying to find the right words to say. "He's still my brother, and..."

As these words sounded, InuYasha's eyes fell slightly, his expression darkening somewhat. But even as Kaname took note of this shift, it reversed itself as the half-demon forced aside whatever it was that was troubling him and stated, "Yeah, I know. I mean...Sango's the same way with Kohaku, so..."

As InuYasha shrugged, Kaname frowned somewhat, thinking of her own brother. "By the way...InuYasha?" Taking note of the way the half-demon glanced her way, the Shikigami User went on to say, "I...about what Michiru said to you before he left. I...I _could_ ask what it was, but..." Pausing to heave a sigh, she let her gaze falter somewhat before adding, "...I think I...can guess what it was..."

A beat passed before InuYasha issued a sigh of his own. "Yeah...you probably could..." he admitted, nodding slightly as he glanced about uncomfortably. "Look, I...he's just worried about you, that's all. The same way you are about him, and..."

"I know, I know. I...I didn't mean anything," Kaname promptly assured the half-demon. "I'm sorry." After these two words were said, a heavy silence fell between the two of them, one that was as deep and suffocating as the ocean depths.

Discomforted by this awkward silence and drained from the events and revelations of that day, Kaname looked up at her friend and companion. "Umm...InuYasha...?" When the half-demon again met her eyes, she gave a feeble sigh. "I was wondering...do you think anybody would really mind if we...took a break or something?"

"What do you mean?" InuYasha wondered, cocking his head to the side in a quizzical manner.

"Well...it's just that...after everything that's been happening, I...I'm feeling kinda...out of it, and...well, I know that we can't really take the day off. Not with everything that's been happening. But..." Pausing to study her half-demon friend, a person possessing a good heart despite his rough exterior and mannerisms, Kaname went on to ask, "Maybe we could just...take it easy for a while? Grab a quick snack, maybe take a nap? Something like that?"

Several seconds passed as InuYasha considered this idea, before at last breaking into a wearied smile that betrayed his own emotional and physical expenditures. "Kaname...that sounds like a damned good idea," he finally declared. "Let's go. I could use a bite, and with everything that's been happening, it's probably about lunchtime, anyway."

"Good point. I hadn't been tracking the time, but...yeah," Kaname admitted even as InuYasha started towards the residence where they had been staying with their newfound friends, Tamoa, Shunsuke, and the elderly Kaito. "Besides, we have all that food you got for us," she noted as she started moving alongside the half-demon. "Be a shame not to eat it."

"Heh! You said it!" InuYasha decided as the two of them made their way through the village together.

* * *

_I don't believe this..._ Kagome thought, standing in the shadows of a large building as she watched InuYasha and Kaname making their way down the streets of Tsuzumi Village. Both the modern girl and arrogant half-demon acting as casual as could be, like any other couple a person might see in any other city, whether in Feudal Japan or the modern world.

Kagome had not been intending to spy on either InuYasha or Kaname. With all the work that had been taking place to get Hachi laden with supplies, and her mind reeling from the staggering horrors that Miroku's theories had filled her imagination with, the modern priestess had found herself eager for some kind of distraction. Something to take her mind off of everything, all the worries and fears and her own theories and frustrations. And so she had spent some time watching InuYasha from a distance as he went to see off Michiru and his group, waiting for him to be done saying his goodbyes so she could approach him without interference. Hoping to get him alone to spend some time with him, as well as begin repairing some of the damage so recently done to their relationship.

And so she had watched as InuYasha had watched Michiru and the others depart, and had started towards him. Only for Kagome to halt when she saw that the half-demon making his way over to Kaname, who was looking down about something. Leaving the modern priestess to look on, listening as the two conversed somewhat awkwardly, without any idea of what to do.

Kagome's voice had not yet recovered from her overusing it in shouting at Kaname and sitting InuYasha, rendering her mute and unable to call out to the half-demon. And she really didn't want to go anywhere near Kaname, not with all the frustration and confusion she still felt towards the Kururugi twins, and especially since she didn't want to risk breaking the promise she had made to InuYasha to not start a fight with Kaname. Leaving Kagome with no idea as to what to do, save for waiting and watching for InuYasha and Kaname to finish speaking and to go their separate ways.

And now, Kagome was standing there, watching as InuYasha and Kaname made their way back to Kaito's home. Chatting easily amongst themselves, with the half-demon smiling at something the Kururugi girl said. Leaving the modern priestess caught between the typical jealous outrage she would feel when it came to InuYasha and Kikyo...and despair.

_When was the last time I was like that with InuYasha...?_ Kagome couldn't help but wonder, frowning even as she started away from the warehouse she had been standing in the shadow of. _Have we...ever just talked and relaxed together like that? Been able to...just enjoy being with each other...?_

No matter how hard Kagome wracked her mind and scoured through her memories, she couldn't remember a single time when she and InuYasha had been able to do something so simple. Her relations with the half-demon were typically characterized by him ruining the moment by doing something really stupid or angering her and her subsequently sitting him for it. Even getting close to him was difficult at best, given his tendency to isolate himself from the others, his many years of loneliness making him harder to approach. The only times their relationship really seemed to work was when they were either hurt or sick or they had just been through another ugly battle or something of that nature.

And yet, Kagome could see InuYasha and Kaname, acting completely casual and conversing naturally as they walked along the streets. Nothing at all like her own relationship with the half-demon, which at times seemed like the metaphorical hedgehog's dilemma.

_But how?! How can they be getting so close, so easily?!_ Kagome couldn't help but wonder. _Is it because of what happened when InuYasha told her and Michiru about his full-demon self? Is it because they accepted him that...?!_ Then she frowned, shaking her head. _But..._I _accepted him! We _all _did! We all know he's different, that he's a half-demon and all the rest of it! Why is it so different for Kaname?!_

Again, Kagome considered the situation, trying to make sense of it, and ultimately failing. She knew that Michiru had gotten very close to InuYasha during his first journey and the two had subsequently become good friends, and so it made sense that Kaname, being similar to her brother in more than one way, would also become close to the half-demon. And the fact that she had reacted to learning the truth about his demonic transformation the way InuYasha had said would also make the half-demon more approachable for her. But Kagome and InuYasha had spent far more time together, bonding in ways that the Kururugi girl could not have. And yet, Kaname now seemed closer to the half-demon than Kagome herself.

And as she struggled to make sense of this, that same jealousy and anger and fear that Kagome would experience virtually every single time Kikyo showed up again made itself known, only this time much worse. For while she could accept that InuYasha genuinely loved Kagome's previous incarnation and had formed a true romantic relationship all those years ago, Kaname was a completely different matter. She had no relation to either Kagome or Kikyo, had no bonds that had been previously developed and had not spent the extensive amounts of time that Kagome had, building her relationship with the temperamental half-demon. And yet...

_No...stop it...!_ Kagome thought, struggling to throttle down these ugly parts of herself, lest they prompt her to make another tragic mistake like the ones she feared she had already made. _I...it's not like they're actually _doing _anything! Just...walking together and talking! It's not like there's anything wrong with that! It's...it's perfectly innocent! Harmless!_

But even as Kagome thought this, images appeared in her mind; chibi versions of Miroku and Sango together in a loving relationship that was admittedly not without a few problems. Then from out of nowhere, a chibi version of Michiru popped into the picture, catching the chibi Sango's attention. The two of them would spend time together, doing perfectly innocent things, until at last the chibi Michiru kicked Miroku in the butt and sent him flying away. Then the chibi Michiru wrapped his arm about the chibi Sango, who kissed him in return, while chibi Michiru made the V-sign for victory. All the while the chibi Miroku came crashing to the ground, looked about to see that he had lost the woman he loved, which sent tears like waterfalls spilling forth from his eyes.

While this was happening, chibi versions of Kagome and InuYasha were looking on, just as a chibi Kaname appeared out of nowhere, just like the chibi Michiru. And now that chibi Kaname was spending time with the chibi InuYasha, doing things that looked perfectly innocent, until...

_No! That _can't _happen! I won't let it!_ Kagome vowed as she shook her head free of that horrid image. But even as she did so, she again looked at the real InuYasha and Kaname. And despite the fact that they were now quite distant, she could still see them walking side by side. _But...how can I stop it...?_

For a moment, Kagome considered giving chase after them and trying to get in on the downtime InuYasha had suggested. But the very thought of watching him and Kaname enjoying themselves together made her feel sick to her stomach. _And besides...even if I went, what could I do?!_ she wondered, pausing to massage her worn throat. _I still can't talk! So if they started...all I could really do is watch and pass notes to them!_

Shuddering at the thought of being in that position, Kagome shook her head miserably. _I...if only I hadn't sat InuYasha so much! I'd still have my voice, and I could try and straighten things out with him! Maybe...make things better between us!_

But even as she thought this, Kagome realized that there was no point in crying over what had been done. Her voice was gone, and now she had to do whatever she could to recover it, so she could sit down with InuYasha and straighten things out. _Miroku had a chance to straighten things out with Sango, and he blew it! And...even if Michiru was lying, that doesn't change the fact that Sango, she...she believes in him, not Miroku! And now..._I _might be the one who's about to lose if I don't fix things!_

Her eyes falling to the street even as she again thought about that, the scenario of the chibi images again flashing through her mind, stopping just sort of Kagome's chibi self being kicked aside by the chibi Kaname, Kagome shook her head miserably. _But...how would I even do that?!_ she wondered fearfully._ I've already been doing my best to make things work with InuYasha! What else can I do?!_ A lump of bile forming in her throat, the modern priestess swallowed it loudly. _I want to be with InuYasha...but what can I do...?_

As Kagome considered the matter, her heart sank that much more, because she couldn't think of a single thing that she could do. Not in the here and now. And especially not if she was truly guilty as InuYasha implied her to be.

_I...this is all too much...!_ Kagome couldn't help but think, barely able to believe all that had happened this day. In the time since breakfast, the perfect love she had envisioned between Miroku and Sango had been wiped away, her belief that Miroku had been in the right had been damaged by InuYasha's words and faith in Michiru, she had heard a tremendous story of the past, and worst of all was Miroku's theory, which left her confronting fears that had long since been buried beneath fantasies and dreams. So much that was happening far too fast to comprehend, let alone cope with. And now...

_I...I need to get away...to think, or...just to..._ Kagome thought miserably, turning and moving off in the opposite direction. Quickly losing herself amongst the people of the village as they went about their own lives. _I...I can't deal with this...not now..._

* * *

"So, this be your childhood home, eh, Miroku?" Totosai absently wondered as Momo slowly descended to the earth.

"Yes. This is where I grew up," Miroku confirmed even as he studied the landscape and the temple that had changed nary a wit over the years. It was certainly a bit more run down, but other than that, the air was the same, the mountain stone off in the distance was unchanged. And near where Momo had landed...

"Hmm?" Totosai started, his aged eyes settling upon an abnormality in the landscape; a massive depression, as if something had scooped out a section of the earth in the shape of a bowl. Enough years had passed since to allow the grass to grow back, and in the center of the bowl lay a stone of memorial. "What in blazes is this hole here?"

"This?" Miroku started, pausing to study the hole in question. "This is where my father died. Where his Wind Tunnel..."

As Miroku flashed back to that horrible day so many years ago, when his father's Wind Tunnel had become too large and powerful to be restrained any longer, when he as a child had forcibly restrained by Mushin lest he join his father in his fate, the aged blacksmith issued a surprised gasp while Shippo gulped loudly. "Oh!" Totosai got out, sounding somewhat chagrined. "I'm...I'm sorry, Miroku. I..."

"That's alright. I know you meant no offense," Miroku thought as he continued to study the hole before him. Memories of his fallen father flittering in his mind. "Thank you for bringing me here, both of you. I appreciate your going out of your way for me."

His eyes still upon the memorial that Mushin had crafted for his father, Miroku continued to stand there for a time, until a tiny voice asked, "Uh...Miroku? Are you...alright?"

_No. And I never will be again,_ Miroku thought, memories of Sango turning away from him to give her love to Michiru still lurking in the shadows of memory. What he actually said was, "I...yes. I'm sorry, Shippo. There are...many memories for me here. Some good, and...some bad." Heaving a deep breath, the monk slowly turned towards his companions. "Again, thank you for your troubles. But I think you should be on your way now. There's still much that needs to be done. By all of us."

"Agreed," Totosai nodded before frowning. "Though I have to admit, I am _not _looking forward to carrying out my own duties...necessary though they may be." Unable to blame the elderly blacksmith for this, Miroku looked on as he said, "Well...best of luck to you, Miroku. Here's hoping you can get your Wind Tunnel fixed."

"Yeah," Shippo seconded before waving. "Bye, Miroku! We'll see you later!"

"Take care, both of you," Miroku returned, bowing his head politely to the both of them even as Totosai urged Momo into the air once more. With the monk watching them carefully even as they rose up higher, with Shippo doubtlessly pointing the way to the mountains where the wolf-demons and Demon Slayers were. Never once taking his eyes off of them...because he knew he would likely not see them again.

When at long last Totosai, Shippo, and Momo were gone from view, Miroku issued a heavy sigh as he returned his attention to the massive hole that now served as his father's memorial. _Father..._ he thought as he once again flashed back to that dread moment so many years ago, before his own Wind Tunnel had first formed. When the abyssal hole Naraku had cursed his family with finally claimed his father's life. _You never told me about...my mother...how you met...if you were married. It was always just you, Master Mushin, and myself here._ Frowning as he once more thought of Sango, of how she had turned her back on Miroku and the faults that were her reason for doing so. Faults that he knew his father had. _How did you meet...what was she like, and...why did I never meet her? Why...?_

The memorial had no answers for Miroku. Leaving the monk to turn his gaze from the stone and the hole where he had almost died himself and look to the simple temple where he had grown up, where he had been trained in the skills needed to be a monk, to channel spiritual energy and battle demons. Where his father and Mushin had taught him every single sin he knew. And finally, with one last deep breath, started towards it.

"Master Mushin?" Miroku called out as he made his way up the stairs to the temple proper, pausing just long enough to remove his sandals before entering. "Mushin, are you there? It's Miroku."

There was no response, but that did not dissuade Miroku from continuing into the familiar surroundings. And as he did so, his ears pricked at the sound of low snoring, snoring that caused the monk to groan with certainty that he knew why Mushin was failing to respond.

Sure enough, a few seconds more of searching and Miroku found an elderly monk dressed in brown robes passed out on the floor. He was bald with large white eyebrows and a mustache, and his cheeks were the perpetually rosy color of a confirmed drunkard, and his nose was an even brighter red. He had what Miroku had heard Kagome call a beer belly, and had a tokkuri propping up his head like a pillow.

"Ugh...drunk as usual..." Miroku grumbled, grateful that this was one habit of his master's that he had avoided picking up. And as he looked at his aged mentor, he was on the verge of kicking him in the head for his wake-up call. But even as he reared back his foot to deliver the kick, Sango's angry face appeared in his mind, once again calling him out on his sinfulness. Throwing all his faults in his face more, before giving her heart to someone else. And he once again remembered his theory, a theory that was all but reality in his mind, that it was his own selfishness and sinfulness that had, in another time, brought doom and death upon his head and those that he cared for most deeply.

His insides twisting about at these things, Miroku heaved a heavy sigh before bending down and gently shaking Mushin's shoulder. "Wake up...you damned drunk," he couldn't help but say, for there was no getting around the reality of his teacher's excesses. When Mushin failed to rouse, the monk frowned that much more deeply and shook him harder. "C'mon, wake up! I need your help!"

Even as the notion of kicking Mushin awake once again flitted through Miroku's mind, his master's eyes slowly opened. Exhaling a rancid blast of boozy breath, Mushin groaned somewhat as he slowly propped himself up. "Oh...Miroku," he began, eyeing the younger monk as he made himself comfortable. "I see you're still alive."

"You won't be able to say the same if you keep drinking this way," Miroku informed him, one of the countless warnings the younger monk had heaped upon his master for his excesses.

Rolling his eyes and visibly dismissing this latest warning, Mushin asked, "So what trouble brings you back here _this _time? Because you can't expect me to believe that you're here just because you missed me or were in the mood to give me another lecture."

"It's a long story, but I'll do my best to keep it brief," Miroku began, sitting himself down cross-legged before the much older man. "Several nights ago, there was a bright blue light in the skies. Did you see it?"

_"See _it?!" Mushin gaped, his eyes widening in surprise. "Miroku, my boy, I was enjoying a good nap after having some strong sake, only to be awakened by the sensation of the strongest, purest demonic aura I had ever sensed! And when I stepped outside to see what happened, I saw a brilliant blue star hanging in the sky, cleansing the land of many demons." Snorting loudly as he shook his head in amazement at this event, the older monk added, "Just the sight of it knocked the sake clean out of me. I kid you not."

Resisting the urge to remark that it would take nothing short of a miracle to leave Mushin sober, Miroku took a deep breath and stuck to business. "That star is actually an artifact of great power that was created during a battle with Naraku's forces," he told his master. When Mushin opened his mouth in surprise, Miroku held up his hand in negation. "I'll explain as much as I can to you later," he vowed despite knowing that he could not trust his master's drunken tongue with the knowledge of the Reikikaega's existence or abilities. "But for now, I need your help. During the course of the battle, I was attacked by Naraku's latest incarnations. The creature bit me here," he spoke, holding up his right forearm, "and later, I discovered that its bite had somehow disabled my Wind Tunnel." Pausing just long to make certain that Mushin's sake-addled mind was processing everything that was being said, Miroku went on to say, "Later on, when the creation of the artifact you witnessed was being set in motion, it's power began drawing in multitudes of demons, and was pulling into itself anything with demonic power. Including that contained within my Wind Tunnel."

His eyes opening even wider, Mushin asked, "Uh...so what happened?! Given that you're still here before me, I'm guessing you weren't sucked into that blue star."

"Indeed. But it almost happened. And if not for the fact that one of my...allies was able to anchor me to the ground, I _would _have been pulled into the star myself," Miroku admitted, unwilling to use the word friend when he was no longer certain he deserved that title. "However, while I was able to avoid being pulled in, the object you saw _was _able to rip huge amounts of demonic matter out of the Wind Tunnel." Wincing as he once again recalled the sheer agony he had felt as everything the cursed void in his hand had ever consumed had been forcibly pulled out of it, the monk lowered his arm once more. "In the days since then, I discovered that the Wind Tunnel had been stripped of much of its former power. The winds are almost nonexistent now."

"Really?" Mushin returned, glancing down at the cursed hand before eyeing Miroku. "And what would you like for me to do?"

"You know the Wind Tunnel curse as well any human could. And we both know that it's my best weapon against Naraku," Miroku began, again holding up his cursed hand to his mentor. "I was hoping that you could examine it for me. Perhaps see what is wrong with it."

Frowning somewhat, Mushin heaved a smelly sigh before muttering, "Alright, Miroku, but...what you're describing is completely unlike anything I've dealt with before, either with your father or grandfather. So I can't make any guarantees I'll be able to help you with this." Nodding his understanding, Miroku watched as his surrogate father took gentle hold of his right hand and began lifting up the cloth that concealed the Wind Tunnel from view. "Now, let's see what we have to..._huh?!"_

"What?!" Miroku wondered, suddenly alarmed by his master's reaction, his expression of consummate astonishment. "Mushin, what is it?!

A few seconds passed before Mushin replied, his eyes narrowed and serious. "Miroku...when was the last time you opened your Wind Tunnel?"

"Several days ago, when I checked to see if it had recovered from the bite of Naraku's incarnation," Miroku admitted. "Why? What is it?"

A beat passed before Mushin heaved a deep sigh. "Miroku...I'm afraid there's nothing I can do for you in this case."

Starting somewhat at this statement, Miroku then narrowed his eyes at his old master. "Mushin, you had better not be about to make some joke about me being about to die, or -!"

"This is no joking matter, Miroku!" Mushin declared, forcing his palm up so that the monk could see it. "See for yourself!"

Miroku did see. And what he saw caused his eyes to widen in astonishment and his mouth to fall open in shock.

For the Wind Tunnel...was gone.

"Wha...?" Miroku gasped as he brought his right hand up closer to his face so as to study it carefully. And what he saw was bare, unblemished flesh. Unable to fathom this reality, he turned his hand this way and that, studying the palm of it from every conceivable angle. Again, he saw nothing. There was absolutely no sign of the abyssal hellhole that was Naraku's curse upon his family.

"I can't fix something that doesn't even exist anymore," Mushin remarked, smiling coyly at the young monk. "Now can I?"

Still staggered by what he was seeing, Miroku required several seconds to recover from this shock. "But...!" he started, pausing to shake his head in disbelief. "How...how is this even possible?! Naraku, he still lives, and -!"

"Well, this isn't the first time the Wind Tunnel's disappeared, now is it?" Mushin wondered in a rhetorical manner.

"I - yes, but -!" Miroku sputtered out, still trying to make sense of what he was seeing. Pausing to take a deep breath, the monk looked hard at his surrogate father. "Master Mushin, it doesn't make any sense! In the past, Naraku erased the Wind Tunnel to trick us into believing that we had managed to kill him! To maintain the illusion that he was dead so he would have time to recover and prepare for whatever plan he had in mind! Why would he erase the Wind Tunnel like this?!"

"Perhaps he didn't," Mushin declared, looking Miroku in the eyes, his words steadier than they had any right to be. "You said that that blue star pulled all the demon power out of the Wind Tunnel, right?"

"Yes," Miroku answered, already realized what Mushin was about to say. "But - the Wind Tunnel was still with me, even after the battle! It was still here," he added, holding out the palm of his right hand, "just days ago! I _swear_ it!"

"I'm not accusing you of lying, Miroku...for once," Mushin remarked in a snarky manner. "I'm saying that perhaps, while that star didn't immediately destroy the Wind Tunnel... it may have done critical damage to its foundation."

Frowning somewhat at these words, Miroku narrowed his eyes and returned, "I'm...not sure what you mean."

"Well...take this temple, for instance," Mushin began, thumping his hand gently upon the hardwood flooring. "It's built upon a nice, sturdy foundation, right? That's what supports it." Miroku nodded to this, though he still wasn't sure where his old master was going with this. "Same with those big, fancy castles and mansions the rich folk live in. Those big buildings are only able to stay up straight because they have strong foundations to support their framework. And if anything were to happen to it...say, for instance, if something were to yank that foundation right out from under the building..."

As Mushin trailed off, Miroku realized what he was saying. "So...you think that the jet - I mean, the star - what it pulled out of me...was the foundation of the Wind Tunnel curse?"

"In a sense," Mushin confirmed with a nod. "Like all demonic artifacts and beings, the Wind Tunnel was dependent upon the demonic power it's infused with in order to sustain itself. But when that power was pulled out of it, the Wind Tunnel began to dissipate." Then the aged monk tapped the palm of Miroku's hand, adding, "And ultimately, it collapsed completely. Fading away to nothing."

It made sense, Miroku thought. And the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Swords like the Tetsusaiga were dependent upon demonic power, and so were vulnerable to the spiritual power of Kagome's Sacred Arrows and other sacred artifacts. And his own ability to destroy demons came from his channeling spiritual power to destroy the demonic power that sustained them. So if the jet had truly extracted the demonic power that had been at the heart of the Wind Tunnel curse, then it made sense that the curse would ultimately break down.

But even as he thought these logical thoughts, Miroku's mind reeled in astonishment at what this meant. "But...that would mean that..."

"That's right, my boy," Mushin nodded, smiling brightly. "If I'm right...then you're _finally_ free of the Wind Tunnel curse."

Free. Free of the curse that had ultimately consumed both his father and grandfather. Free of the plague that would doom him to die a most horrible death, and would subsequently doom any and all children that Miroku might have. Free of the need to hunt down Naraku in order to save his own life.

Free of the most powerful weapon Miroku had had to defend himself and destroy demons.

"I...I don't...can it really be this _easy?"_ Miroku wondered, his eyes again falling upon his bare hand. "Naraku, he - we both know that he's erased the Wind Tunnel in the past, so..."

"And what possible reason would he have for doing it this time?" Mushin wondered with a raised eyebrow. "You haven't fought him, so there's no reason to think you've killed him. And I don't expect that he's stupid enough to think that you'll believe that he's just rolled over and died for your convenience!"

That was true, Miroku was forced to admit. Naraku had no reason to dispel the Wind Tunnel in this instance, no trick to lend credence to. In fact, given the staggering defeat their nemesis had recently suffered, it was much more to his advantage to maintain the Wind Tunnel, to make Miroku vulnerable to being cut by it or by being stung by his Saimyosho. No matter how hard he thought about it, the monk could think of no rational reason for Naraku dispelling the Wind Tunnel in this case.

"Then...is this real...?" Miroku wondered, again studying the palm of his hand. "I'm...free? Forever?"

"Well, the 'forever' part remains to be seen," Mushin admitted. "But, one thing's for sure; if you came here for me to look at your Wind Tunnel, then...well, there doesn't seem to be much reason for you to stick around." Then he gave Miroku a lopsided smile and added, "That is, unless you're in the mood to spend some time with an old man, getting him caught up on what's been happening in your life."

As Miroku continued to study the spot on his hand where the Wind Tunnel had once been, he heaved a deep breath. "Actually...I think I'll do that," he finally decided, lowering his arm and looking at his master. "The others...aren't expecting me back for some time, anyway. And in all honesty, I could use some time away from them." When Mushin furrowed his brows at this, the monk added, "A lot has happened since I was last here, and...there is a great deal I need to meditate upon."

"Oh, boy. Sounds like a _lot _has been happening since I last saw you," Mushin groaned good-naturedly. "Tell you what; why don't you go purify your filthy self while I put together something for us to eat? We can talk about everything that's been happening over lunch."

Still stricken with shock over the idea that his Wind Tunnel may, in fact, be truly gone but Naraku still lived, Miroku heaved a deep sigh. "I think that sounds like a good idea," the monk decided, getting back up to his feet. "And as I said...there is much that I need to think about."

But even as Miroku began preparing for a ritualistic cleansing and meditation upon his sins, he again glanced down at his right hand. _But if you're right, Mushin...and the Wind Tunnel truly is gone..._ he slowly thought, considering everything that had been happening in recent times, _then my next decision...has become simpler to make..._

* * *

"Wow..." Michiru breathed in low astonishment as the eastern caves of the mountains that were the home of the wolf-demons came into view. Caves that had become the temporary shelters for Daisuke and his band of Demon Slayers as they worked to build their new homes. "They've...been busy while we were gone..."

"They sure have," Sango remarked, her voice low with awe as she surveyed the fortress was in the process of being built. The area denoted by the outer walls of this new fort were much larger than that of her own fort, and even that of the fort that Daisuke and the others had been forced to leave behind. The outer walls seemed to merge seamlessly with the sheer wall of mountain stone, and there were several towers situated about the walls. Four of the towers were larger and taller, with two positioned at the front corners and the other two just before the mountain face, while the remaining three towers were placed at the center of each wall. At the center of the eastern wall was a massive gate and drawbridge over a moat that now surrounded outer wall. Realizing that this would make for a good defense against any landbound enemy that might try to break in, Sango also took note of the shrines that were now situated at the top of each of the four larger towers. Shrines that she realized had to be fitted with the barrier stones that Michiru and the Shikigami Users amongst the Demon Slayers had crafted, giving them further protection from attackers. And while there weren't many buildings within the fort proper, it was obvious considerable progress had been made.

_Still, it will be a long time before this place will be a true home for them,_ Sango knew as Kirara flew closer. Aloud, she said, "How are you holding up, Michiru?"

"Uh...a bit sore, but...I guess I'm okay..." Michiru assured her in a wan tone. "Though...I can't wait to get these ropes off..."

Sango couldn't blame him for this. This had indeed been a long and uncomfortable trip for everyone. Kirara, though a strong and brave friend, wasn't used to carrying three passengers, especially one that needed to be tied to her body in order to stay on her back. And Kanna, still forced to deal with the terrors of an emotional being, had spent the entire trip clinging to Michiru for dear life, her eyes screwed shut. And Sango couldn't imagine how sore and tired Michiru must be after such a trip.

As they got closer, Sango noted a Demon Slayer emerging from the shrine that stood atop one of the larger towers, and although she couldn't make out his words when he called out, she could see him waving in their direction. Taking this to mean that they had been recognized as friends, the warrior woman guided Kirara downwards. As they descended past the fort walls, there was no sign of opposition; quite the contrary, for as the two-tail came down to land, several Demon Slayers were already approaching. To her surprise, they were led by two very familiar faces.

"Daisuke! Haruna!" Sango called out as Kirara placed her feet upon the solid ground. "I...I wasn't expecting..."

"But _we _were," Daisuke said by way of explanation. The leader of this group of Demon Slayers wore a uniform similar to Sango's and was a large, thickly built man with a weathered face and the beginnings of a beard. And despite the fact that the pressure of recent events was weighing heavily upon him, he still smiled happily at the sight of the group of young warriors. "You see, Jiro, Azusa, and Hachi have already been here. And while they were dropping off some of the food and medicine, they told us some of what's been happening."

Pausing to consider this, Sango frowned slightly. "Then...you already know why we're here."

"Indeed. Jiro told us about what happened to Michiru," Haruna added as she studied the worn Kururugi boy. The head of the Shikigami Users among the Demon Slayers, she was an attractive older woman with long dark hair who clothed herself in a stylized white kimono and blue hakama. "And...I can see that he wasn't exaggerating as to your condition..."

"Hello, Haruna..." Michiru spoke, looking somewhat embarrassed at being seen like this. "I, uh..."

Placing her fingers upon Michiru's lips and thus silencing him, Haruna said, "There will be time enough for talk later. For now, let's get you all someplace where you can rest and be comfortable. It's a long trip from Tsuzumi Village to here, and from what Jiro has told us, you've already been through a great ordeal."

"Agreed. We can discuss this inside, where's it more comfortable," Daisuke nodded. Then he glanced about at some of the nearby Demon Slayers and ordered, "Hayate, Ebisu, Mi! Come help us with -"

"Uh, hold on!" Sango protested, holding up her hand to Daisuke. When the Demon Slayer leader frowned in surprise, the woman warrior turned towards Kirara's other rider. Trembling nervously at the sight of so many people, so many other Demon Slayers, Kanna all too eagerly reached towards Sango as she wrapped her arms about the former incarnation. Lifting her up off of Kirara's back, Sango cradled Kanna in her arms before turning once more to Daisuke. "I'm sorry. It's just...Kanna, she's...she's not good with strangers, and..." A beat passed as the warrior woman noted the frown the mention of this name brought to Daisuke's face. "Uh, wait...Jiro, did he...?"

"He told me about Kanna, though he didn't have time to tell me everything, and said that you would explain it to me later," Daisuke stated, eyeing the little girl who was presently shedding tears of fear upon Sango's chest. "And make no mistakes; this is a story that I will want to hear as soon as possible."

Realizing Daisuke's subdued anger and understanding it as if it were her own, Sango nodded. "Alright. But if it's all the same, I'd rather talk to you about it in private," she politely requested. "It's...a long story."

"I don't doubt it," Daisuke declared, heaving a deep breath as he visibly set aside what anger he might have had for the girl that had once been Naraku's creature. "Alright, everyone, let's get the boy untied and to the medical center. It's the best place for him in his current state."

Watching as the three Demon Slayers moved towards Kirara and began to efficiently untie the bonds that secured Michiru, Sango nonetheless frowned. "The medical center?" she asked, looking towards Daisuke. "What...?"

"It's one of many innovations and inventions we've been able to make since you've left," Haruna declared with an air of pride. "By using techniques and knowledge from the texts Michiru lent to us, we were able to create a special building for medical treatment that protects and sterilizes infections that hide in the air."

"Huh?" Michiru started, looking perplexed even as the three Demon Slayers finished untying him. "There's...a spell for that? But I...?"

"There certainly was. In fact, there is a great deal of knowledge to be found in the texts you let me copy," Haruna assured him. "Knowledge that has proven to be invaluable us in the short amount of time we've been able to draw upon it."

As Michiru was eased off of Kirara's back, it was clear from his expression that he still didn't know what his fellow Shikigami User was talking about, "I...I'm sorry, but...I don't remember..."

"That's okay. I don't always remember half the spells I know," Haruna assured him. "Besides, you're exhausted. Your memories are doubtlessly playing tricks on you."

"I know how that feels," Daisuke nodded. "Come on. Let's get our friends to the medical center. I'm sure they could use some time and rest now."

Nodding as one, the three Demon Slayers lifted Michiru up off the ground, eliciting a surprised squawk from the Shikigami User as he found two of the warriors under his shoulder and the third with Michiru's legs propped over his shoulders. Watching as the trio carried the boy she loved away, Sango paused just long enough to set Kanna down on the ground. Taking the former incarnation's hand in her own, the woman warrior fell in step behind the trio even as Kirara returned to her smaller, cuter form. Even as the two-tail fell in step with her mistress, Daisuke and Haruna began moving alongside them.

"Daisuke...did Jiro tell you about Totosai?" Sango wondered, directing a sideways glance at the head of this group of warriors. "He's the one who forged InuYasha's sword, and...well..."

"Jiro mentioned the blacksmith you speak of," Daisuke confirmed. "However, he has not arrived yet."

Frowning somewhat, Sango decided that this made sense, given that Totosai and Shippo would be first traveling to Mushin's temple before coming here. "Listen, Jiro, he...he told me that you might be able to help Michiru regain his strength," Sango hesitantly mentioned. "Haruna...do you _really _think you can help him?"

"Oh, certainly," Haruna declared without hesitation. "Jiro told us about how his powers were overused by that cursed mask. And while the strength of his spirit may have been drained, I can still sense the power of his Shikigami. It will take a few days, but we will be able to restore his powers to full."

Issuing a sigh of relief at this, Sango smiled and replied, "Thank you. I...I know that you already have a great deal that needs to be done, and -"

"Think nothing of it, Sango," Haruna broke in, holding up her hand and smiling her reassurance. "You and your friends have already done so much in the name of our alliance with the wolf-demons. As far as I'm concerned, you are all members of our group, and deserve the same protections as the rest of us."

Daisuke glanced at Haruna, a slight shadow appearing upon his face at her words. But Sango didn't think anything of it, and instead continued alongside the group until they reached a large building, one of the few that she had seen to be completed from the air.

With Daisuke sliding the doors open, the group entered, with the trio of Demon Slayers carrying Michiru in first. As Sango entered, she frowned, for there was a strange scent in the air. Noting her expression, Daisuke smiled sympathetically. "I know. The scent of this place _is _disturbing," he nodded as he glanced about the wooden interior of what appeared to be a fairly traditional building of this time, though the walls were all wooden and were inscribed with various talisman and symbols. "But I can't deny that the warriors who are being treated here are certainly healing faster. And wounds that are cleansed here don't suffer infection, and that's what matters."

"Agreed," Haruna noted. "Let's find our young friend an empty room where he can rest." As the three Demon Slayers carrying Michiru nodded and made their way down a nearby hallway, she then glanced back at Sango and Daisuke. "If you'll excuse me...I'd like to spend some time with Michiru. There are some...matters I need to discuss with him. In private."

Again, a shadow appeared on Daisuke's face, a deeper one than before that definitely drew Sango's attention. "Haruna..."

"I won't pressure him, Daisuke. Certainly not in his state," Haruna promptly assured her leader. "But as I've already told you, I feel this is vitally important to the future of the alliance. And as I've said -"

"I know all that," Daisuke broke in, annoyance creeping into his words. "But he's a young man, and not formally a member of either tribe of this alliance. And after everything he and his friends have done -"

"I'll simply talk to him. Nothing more," Haruna assured Daisuke again. Before another word could be said, she started down the same hallway that Michiru had been carried down, an odd smile on her face.

Bemused by this strange conversation and the things that had clearly gone unsaid, Sango looked at Daisuke and wondered, "What was all that about?"

Heaving a deep sigh, Daisuke shook his head sourly. "A lot has been happening since you left us, Sango," he stated in a tired manner. "And...for now, let's just say that Haruna and I have been...disagreeing on certain matters." For a moment, the woman warrior frowned and was about to ask what Daisuke meant when he said, "Come. Let's find a room where we can talk. You can fill me on some of what's been happening lately."

* * *

_This place smells like a hospital,_ Michiru couldn't help but think as he lay in the simple room the Demon Slayers had carried him into.

It wasn't exactly the same, of course. But as Michiru lay in bed, sniffing at the air, he couldn't help but be reminded of that same antiseptic smell that clung relentlessly to doctor's offices and hospitals. But even as he was about to ask what was causing this scent, Haruna's voice sounded, "Mi? Hayate? Ebisu?" as the three Demon Slayers turned about, the somewhat older woman appeared in the doorway. "Thank you for helping with Michiru, but...if you please, I'd like to speak with him."

"Of course," Mi replied, bowing her head politely before glancing back at her companions. "Come on. There's still a great deal for us to do." As the other two Demon Slayers nodded their assent, Mi led them out of the room.

Once the three Demon Slayers had left, Haruna entered the room and closed the door behind her. "Hello, Michiru," she greeted him, bowing her head politely. "It's good to see you again, though...I wish it were under better circumstances."

"So do I," Michiru admitted, not for the first time embarrassed to be in his current state. "Haruna, I...I heard what you said to Sango. About...helping me recover, and...I really do appreciate that..."

"And as I said to Sango, as far as I'm concerned, I feel that you are as much a part of this alliance as any Demon Slayer or wolf-demon," Haruna assured him. "So you need not worry." Reassured by his fellow Shikigami User's words, Michiru nodded. "However..." she began, cocking her head to the side, "...there _is _something important that I wish to speak to you about."

"I heard," Michiru nodded. "So...what is it?"

"It is a critical matter, one that I feel to be extremely important to our future. Not just the Demon Slayers, but to this alliance as a whole," Haruna declared in all seriousness. "Remember when you let me copy your family's texts?" Nodding to this, Michiru lay back and listened as the veteran Demon Slayer continued. "As I told you before, the knowledge inscribed with them is extremely advanced, far more than the scrolls I had lost."

Getting a bad feeling about this and wondering once again how many advances his family had made in unlocking the powers of the Shikigami since the Feudal Era, Michiru asked, "Uh...Haruna...? You haven't...shared any of the -?"

"No, no. You need not worry about that," Haruna swiftly assured him. "We will not share what you've given us with anyone beyond this alliance." Satisfied by the sincerity of Haruna's words, Michiru relaxed a bit. "But as you know, we lost many good friends in the battle that destroyed our old fort. And if I have to be honest...even if they were still with us, we simply don't have the numbers to utilize what you've given us to its utmost."

Perplexed by this statement, Michiru asked, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that having knowledge is not the same as knowing how to utilize it properly," Haruna explained. "And while we have been able to conduct some experiments using the knowledge you've given us, we've barely been able to scratch the surface of what I feel we can accomplish with it. There's so much more that we could do _if _we had more people who wielded the powers of the spirits."

Pausing to consider this for a time, Michiru eventually gave a weary shrug. "Well...they do say that...many hands make light work..." he finally admitted. "But...why talk about this...with me...? What can I do...?"

The instant this question was sounded, Haruna gave a slight smile. "You can let me bear some of your children."

It took several seconds for Michiru's mind to register exactly what Haruna had said. And when it finally did, his eyes bulged clear out of their sockets.

**_"WWHHAAAAATTTT?!"_**

* * *

Author's Notes: So, I'm betting that nobody saw that last line of Haruna's coming. What exactly is she after? You'll have to wait to find out. Until then, please, read and review! And maybe check out my other stories?

Now, I know some of you might think I'm over-angsting Kagome a bit here in regards to her reaction to seeing InuYasha and Kaname together, especially since only a relatively small amount of time since InuYasha confronted her about Michiru's innocence and even less time since she heard Miroku's theory. But I'd have to think that, given how these things have overwhelmed her, she would be even wary about how her own actions have affected others, and that much more fearful that she might have driven InuYasha away through her own mistakes. I hope this makes sense.

BloodPokemon101, sure. In fact, if you like, why don't you just send me the information on these OCs. I can't promise I'll use them, but I'm always open to ideas.

TurboDuel, then just keep reading, because what I have planned will likely blow your mind.

Guest, the panther tribe is a possibility, though I make no guarantees.

crossMIRAGE19, thank you. This story started because, when I played "InuYasha: Secret of the Cursed Mask", I really liked the dynamic of the Michiru/Sango relationship, and wanted to explore it. And then I decided to include Kaname, and the rest is history. There are also a lot of things that I feel Rumiko Takahashi never really took advantage of, such as the time travel aspect, and I wanted to work with that. Thank you for your kind words, and I'm glad you're enjoying the InuYasha/Kaname pairing.

Fenikkusumaru, here's the latest chapter. Hope you enjoyed.

LeonioAria Niru, well, what can I say? I played "InuYasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel", felt that Janis has a lot of potential as a character, and wanted to explore it here. As for how she gets back to Japan and the rest...you'll just have to wait and see. In regards to Kagome, she's having a difficult time, letting go of her fantasy, especially in light of the alternative that she helped create the disaster Miroku theorized. Miroku is going to be spending some time dealing with what he's done. I hope you enjoyed this latest InuYasha/Kaname moment, and Kanna is cute like this, though it will be some time before she recovers from what's happened to her. But Naraku isn't going to try and get Kanna back, though; now that she's human, he feels she's useless to him.

Frosty Wolf, let's just say that this new incarnation is going to bring a lot of misery to InuYasha and the others.

IrishKatana, I'll about giving Michiru the Flower Bloomer.

Demons of the arch angel, I'm not a fan of Sesshomaru, to be perfectly honest.

Dragoon Swordsman, glad you enjoyed the Michiru/Sango scene, and yeah, Kanna is going to be a part of their family.

Mickol93, Michiru and Sango will stay together, though it will take some time to forgive herself, especially with what comes next.

inginuyasha, I'm glad you're looking forward to Janis. As I said, she has a good deal of potential as a character. More Michiru/Sango and InuYasha/Kaname moments are coming, and yeah, I could never see InuYasha with Kagome. It's clear that she feels no guilt for her abusive ways, and she's made it abundantly clear that she doesn't trust InuYasha in the slightest. You'll have to wait and see who Kurogasa is, and if this is indeed the Band of Seven on their way. Oh, right, I haven't updated that list. I'll have to work on that. Sorry.

Keep Calm and Be Ninja, well, I'm always trying to improve my abilities as a writer. You'll have to wait and see who the old man, as well as for the answers to your questions.

Uruz 11, I know what you mean. And I'm glad you enjoyed the recap in the previous chapter. Unfortunately for Sango and the others, there will be some additional consequences of being struck by the Reikikaega, but you'll have to wait and see what those are. I do agree that Sango tends to punish herself far too much, and I'm glad you liked the scene with her and Michiru at the Promise Shrine. Miroku and Kagome will be struggling with the consequences of their actions for a while, but they will continue to have problems for a while. And yeah, Kagura's in a very bad position, and she knows it. I'll be working something for her. As for the identity of the old man and girl, you'll have to wait and see.

Raidentensho, anything's possible.

Xthenjazziesaid, yeah, it's really going to be hitting the fan in the near future. Anyway, Koga will be showing again soon.

Deiru Tamashi, thank you for the kind words. You're right in that it won't be smooth sailing with Kagome. And you can expect plenty of trouble to be heading towards InuYasha and the rest of the gang, particularly with Naraku's latest scheme. As for Janis...wait and see.

J4RRE77, Miroku's not getting off the hook anytime soon.


	3. Haruna's Agenda

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Legacy of the Cursed Mask: Battle Across Time

Chapter 3: Haruna's Agenda

"So..." Daisuke mused, a thoughtful frown on his face as he considered Sango's words, "that strange metal bird Koga told us about not only absorbed the powers of many demons, but that same power made the crops of Tsuzumi Village far larger and stronger than they ever could have been normally."

"That's right, Daisuke," Sango nodded as she stood within one of the rooms of the Demon Slayers' new medical center. Kanna was curled up in a corner, with Kirara lying next to the former incarnation. Grateful that Koga had taken the time upon his brief return to the mountains to brief Daisuke on some of what had been happening, with Jiro filling in at least some of the gaps when he and Azusa had arrived to drop off the supplies, she went on to say, "And according to Totosai, he can use it to forge extremely powerful weapons, or even enhance existing weaponry, making them even more powerful." Then the warrior woman frowned and added, "And given how far away it was seen..."

"Indeed. Even from here, it was plainly visible in the night sky," Daisuke confirmed with a frown. "Some of our number took it to be an omen of some kind...though no one could agree if it was for good or for ill." Unsurprised by this, Sango quirked an odd smile even as the leader of this band of Demon Slayer's continued with, "But...judging from what you've told me, I'd say that it could be a bit of both. Because if we could see this bird from here, it's safe to assume that many others saw it as well. Including those that should not have such power."

"Agreed. So we have to get the je- bird, I mean - away from Tsuzumi Village as fast as possible," Sango declared. "It's only a matter of time before Naraku or someone else comes after it. And with as much as the people there have already suffered, we have to get it away from there as soon as possible, and find someplace where we could keep it safe."

Nodding rapidly to this, Daisuke muttered, "Well..._moving_ this bird may not be a problem. Haruna and several others have been working on a number of new...projects, based upon the texts Michiru loaned her to copy; one of them in particular could help us move this bird."

"Really?" Sango breathed, a bit surprised by this development.

"Yes. I know it may seem extraordinary, but..." Daisuke began, only to trail off into another frown. "The problem is, _where _would we keep this bird? I don't believe it would be wise for us to bring it here, especially if Naraku were to come after it." A beat passed as the Demon Slayer leader looked up at Sango. "And if he was willing to wipe out your entire village in order to claim a single shard of the Shikon Jewel, then..."

Daisuke trailed off, apparently unwilling to say more. And in all honesty, he didn't have to; Sango knew full well the dangers of bringing such an object of power to the alliance, especially given that the Demon Slayers and the wolf-demons alike had their fair share of enemies. And to place everyone in the alliance at risk to protect it, including non-combatants like children, sounded horrendously irresponsible. "I know. We were planning on looking for a safe place to keep it," Sango replied in a thoughtful manner. "But I just don't know where -"

**_"WWHHAAAAATTTT?!"_**

The air split and walls shaken by the sheer force of this single word, Sango felt her eyes bulge and her body tense with shock. And she was not the only one reacting in shock; Kanna let out a strangled gasp of surprise while Kirara was now on all fours, her body tensed and at the ready. As for Daisuke, he quickly looked about for a moment...only to groan in realization and put his face in the palm of his hand. "Oh..._Haruna...!"_

"What?!" Sango cried out in confused shock, only to realize that she recognized the voice that had cried out. "Wait...was that..._Michiru?!"_ But even as she asked this question, Daisuke was already in motion, sliding open the door and dashing off. For a moment, the warrior woman hesitated, but not for long as she glanced back at the others present. "Kanna, stay here! I'll be back as soon as I check on Michiru!" she tersely instructed the former incarnation. "Kirara, look over Kanna for me!"

Kanna shakily nodded while Kirara gave an affirmative mew while taking up station in front of the little girl. Which was all Sango gave herself time to see before rushing off after Daisuke, her heart pounding in her chest as she wondered what had happened to the boy she loved.

Fortunately, the layout of the medical center was as simple as could be; the instant Sango exited the small room, she saw Daisuke standing just outside a room at the other end of the hallway. In the span of a few seconds, the woman warrior rushing up to him, watching him groan in dismay as he looked into the room, shaking his head in disbelief. "What happened?!" Sango demanded as came up to his side. "Michiru, is he - _Michiru?!"_

As Sango looked into the room as well, her jaw immediately plunged to the floor. Michiru was presently lying in a simple bed, his mouth hanging open and his eyes were like squiggles as he groaned incomprehensibly. All the while Haruna knelt at his side, her hands on her shoulders as she met the gaze of the two Demon Slayers. "Uh - Daisuke, Sango?!" she sputtered out, looking at the two warriors with an air of humiliation. "I...uh...!"

"Michiru!" Sango cried out as she shouldered her way past Daisuke and very nearly shoved Haruna out of her way as she landed right next to her beloved. "Wh-what happened?! Michiru, _are you alright?!"_

Michiru didn't give any kind of intelligible response. Instead, he simply continued to lie there, groaning pitifully, completely unresponsive as Daisuke lowly rumbled, "That's a good question, Haruna; what _did _happen here?"

"Uh -!" Haruna hesitantly started, glancing from between Daisuke and Michiru and back again. "I - I didn't - we were just talking, and...I started to make my proposal to him, and -!"

"And he cried out so loud that I could feel the building shake!" Daisuke returned even as Sango checked Michiru's pulse and breathing. "So what _exactly _did you do?"

A hesitant groan escaping her throat, Haruna rose up to her feet and began, "As I said, we were just talking, nothing more! And...well, I started to make my proposal, and...I guess he took it the wrong way!"

"And what _precisely _did he take the wrong way?" Daisuke demanded with a piercing glare as Sango glanced at Michiru's eyes, eyes that were glazed and didn't respond to anything as she passed her hand over them. "Haruna, what did you say to him...?"

"I -!" Haruna hesitantly began, sounding much like a child caught trying to steal candy. "I...I asked if he would be willing to...to let me...bear some of his children..."

The instant these words, Sango froze in mid-motion, her eyes expanding in uncomprehending shock as she got out, "What...?"

"Ugh, _Haruna...!"_ Daisuke groaned in clear disappointment and dismay. "I _told _you not to -!"

"And I _didn't!"_ Haruna swore as she held out her hands in sincerity. "I never touched the boy!"

"What?" Sango got out again even as she straightened up and turned her gaze towards Haruna and Daisuke, her brows furrowing and eyes narrowing.

"Then how come he's lying there, passed out?!" Daisuke demanded, scowling fiercely as he gestured at Michiru.

"I - I don't know! He must've been weaker than I thought!" Haruna shrugged helplessly. "All I did was ask him to -!"

_"What?!"_ Sango issued a third time, the anger in her voice mounting as she slowly rose up.

"You asked to be _a mother of his children,_ Haruna!" Daisuke demanded incredulously. "You're one of my most trusted advisors and a leader in your own right! How could you do something so _stupid?!"_

"Well...I realized that what I wanted to discuss with him was...somewhat controversial!" Haruna explained in an almost sheepish manner. "So I...I tried to start off easy! I thought that...if I spoke in a more...humorous fashion, it might go over more smoothly!"

Snorting derisively at this, Daisuke countered, "In that case, I'd say you failed _spectacularly!_ In fact -!"

_"WHAT?!"_ Sango roared with such fury that it immediately snapped both of the veteran warriors from their argument and focused their attention on her. Thus Haruna was just in time to see Sango grab her by the shoulders and slam her into the wall. "How _dare _you -! _Stay away from him!"_

"Sango! What in the -?!" Daisuke demanded, only to cut himself off as he grabbed both women by the shoulder and forcibly shoved them apart. "Stop this, the both of you! I -!"

"You keep away from Michiru, _you understand?!"_ Sango raged, glaring furiously at Haruna as all the pressure she had been under, the guilt she still felt over blackmailing Miroku, the shock she felt over her transformation earlier that day, and the lingering fear that was still with her after hearing Miroku's dread theory, all of it bubbling up and exploding at this most convenient of targets. "Don't you even _think of -!"_

"Wait, _wait! Hold it!"_ Daisuke cried out, releasing his grip on Haruna so as to grasp Sango by both shoulders. "Sango, I _know_ that what Haruna did was wrong, but that doesn't give you the right to _attack_ her!"

Her eyes flying wide open with outrage at the fact that Daisuke was apparently defending the witch who been acting as shamelessly as Miroku towards the one she loved, Sango felt her mouth open and close at random with nothing coming out. "But -!" she finally managed to spit out, glancing over at Michiru, who was still groaning pitifully. "Michiru, he -!"

"He's unconscious, and thus it would be a good thing for us to get him a healer," Daisuke conceded before glancing over his shoulder at the instigator of this mess. _"Wouldn't it,_ Haruna...?"

Haruna opened her mouth, apparently about to remind Daisuke that she was a Shikigami Master herself and thus had healing abilities of her own. But then the Demon Slayer leader narrowed her eyes, and she promptly nodded. "Of course. I'll go find Eisaku or one of his people right away."

Watching as Haruna departed, Daisuke heaved a deep breath and returned his focus to Sango. Several seconds passed as Daisuke studied the woman warrior and the unconscious Shikigami User. And while Sango didn't look his way, she could almost feel him adding things together in his mind. "Sango..." Daisuke slowly began. "Is...is there something...between you and Michiru?"

Pressing her lips together, Sango didn't say anything in response. She just slowly looked towards Daisuke, her eyes never fully leaving Michiru, before finally returning exclusively to the Shikigami User. Which was apparently all the answer the Demon Slayer leader needed, for he then let out a noise of comprehension.

"I see..." he said, a warm smile to his words. Pausing for a minute, he spoke once more, his tone slightly firmer than before. "While I do _not _condone your actions towards Haruna just now...I can certainly understand _why_ you...did what you did."

Clenching her fists so hard that she could feel her nails digging deeply into her own flesh, Sango thought back to what had just happened. She had come very close to fully lashing out at the woman, feeling a rage beyond that of the kind she had experienced at the many times she had physically assaulted Miroku for his perverted ways and violations of her body. But even as that anger returned, along with the temptation of giving Haruna the beating she so longed to give her, she turned to look into Daisuke's gaze, which while compassionate, showed that he was serious. And as she did so, she eventually managed to shove her anger aside, at least enough to be able to reply quietly with regret, "I...I'm sorry, Daisuke."

"I know you are. And...I, too, am sorry, for not informing you or Michiru of this sooner. I did not expect her to do something so...foolish, and I will speak to her about this later." Daisuke also said with regret. "Still, I fully expect you to apologize to Haruna the next time you see her," He informed her. Then he heaved a deep breath before glancing over at Michiru. "The same way I'll tell her to apologize for her own actions."

"Thank you. It won't happen again." Sango returned, giving a polite bow of her head. Issuing a weary sigh, she then turned back to Michiru and once more knelt at his side.

"I _sincerely_ hope not..." The Demon Slayer leader said with a tinge of warning in his voice. Not missing the tone in his voice, the young woman gave a slight nod of understanding while looking shamefully at the boy she loved.

Pausing to take a breath, Sango narrowed her eyes somewhat. "Daisuke," she began, speaking slowly so as to avoid making another mistake, "why...why would Haruna...?

"Ask him to...?" Daisuke started, only to trail off with a frown. When Sango briefly nodded, the leader of the Demon Slayers issued a tiny sigh. "A lot's happened while you and the others were away, Sango. And...as a result, Haruna and several others have been pushing for -"

"Daisuke!" came another voice. Starting at this, Sango looked up to see the veteran warrior turning towards Hayate, who was panting with effort. "Daisuke! Jiro, Azusa, and Hachi have just returned! And our lookouts have sighted an old man riding a flying bull that matches Totosai's description approaching."

"Good. Have representatives go to meet them, then tell my advisors and the rest of the council to meet in the central cave. It's the most secure and private location available, and with the proper charms, there will be no need to worry about any eavesdroppers," Daisuke carefully instructed him. "If what Jiro told us about this...Reikikaega is true, then..."

As Daisuke trailed off, Hayate bowed his head. "Understood."

Watching as Hayate disappeared, Sango frowned and looked up at Daisuke. "Council?" she wondered, not sure what was going on. "Daisuke, what...?"

"It's...how we do things here," Daisuke said by way of explanation. "It's an assemblage of my best advisors and our wisest and most skilled people, representing the various crafts here. The most respected and trusted of the warriors of our people, any of whom I would trust my life to their skills and honor." A beat passed before the veteran warrior added, "And according to Jiro, the only people that we can trust with knowledge of the Reikikaega and its capabilities."

Nodding to this, recalling how Totosai had intended to discuss the importance of protecting the Reikikaega with the leaders of the alliance, Sango replied, "I see. Then...I better be there for this meeting." When Daisuke gave the warrior woman a slight frown, she trembled nervously at the memory of what had happened earlier before saying, "I'm...familiar with how dangerous Reikikaega can be..."

As Sango once again found herself wondering if that had really happened this morning, Daisuke considered her for a time before nodding. "Very well. But I think you should advise Kanna and Kirara of this before you join us."

"I will," Sango nodded in confirmation. "Just as soon as the healer arrives." A beat passed as something else occurred to her, prompting her to frown and say, "Uh, Daisuke? The new forge you were working on...is it finished?"

"Yes. It's been complete for some time now," Daisuke confirmed with a nod. Then he frowned slightly before adding, "And I noticed that you were without your Hiraikotsu..."

Another bit of pain stabbing into her heart, Sango sighed before admitting, "Hiraikotsu...it was destroyed in the last battle. And most of it was absorbed by..."

As Sango trailed off, thinking of the few pathetic chunks and the leather straps that had once bound it, all that remained of her once powerful weapon, Daisuke nodded his understanding. "I'll let our craftspeople and blacksmiths know that you'll need their assistance in recreating your Hiraikotsu," he assured her. "But...I have to go now. I'll tell Hayate to fetch you, once the council is assembled for the meeting."

"Thank you," Sango nodded, grateful for Daisuke's understanding.

* * *

"So I hope you all understand why it is vitally important that the Reikikaega's full potential be kept a secret," Totosai concluded as he addressed the fifteen Demon Slayers that had been assembled. "This sword is completely unprecedented in terms of its power, as well as its capability for shaping magical and spiritual forces, as well as the souls of the living and reshaping the living auras of any being. Transforming them in any way the wielder sees fit. And if it were to fall into the wrong hands...the wielder of this sword would have free rein to reshape everything that lives in any way he or she sees fit."

As the blacksmith's words echoed about the cave, Shippo felt himself trembling as he stood at Totosai's side, along with Sango and Jiro, ready to answer any questions and chime in if he was needed. All the while thinking of that horrific moment when the Reikikaega had been turned on him.

On the one hand, the effects of the Reikikaega had been mercifully brief, and Shippo had been through some very scary things before. Horrific battles with Naraku, confronted by the Thunder Brothers, and captured and cocooned by a moth demon intent on feeding upon his worst fears, very nearly becoming part of his new body. The little fox had endured and survived these many horrors and more, all despite being far younger and weaker than the rest of his companions.

But at the same time, the things Shippo had lived through had left him with his share of nightmares, and he feared that what happened to him and the others as a result of the Reikikaega's powers would appear in those nightmares this night. Of what it had been like to feel his mind and body being reshaped by a power outside of his own, his ability to think rationally being stolen from him and replaced with the bestial instinct of a mortal fox. His mind fogged over, unable to think or speak or do anything but run up to Kagome, crying pitifully for help and comfort in the voice of an animal.

That transformation had only lasted for less than a minute, but it now haunted the little fox like many of the other nightmarish events that had taken place in their battles, perhaps even more. And it was only the fact that Shippo, like the others, had had so many other things to deal with and worry about that kept him from dwelling on that horrific moment.

"And you say that you used this sword upon four of your group?" Daisuke asked in a deceptively mild fashion, his eyes narrowed intensely as he studied the blacksmith. "Two of which happened to be members of our alliance?"

The look and tone used by Daisuke were not lost upon Totosai, who flinched and gulped loudly in response. But before he could come up with a response, Jiro cleared his throat. "Actually, if it pleases the council...I'm afraid that Azusa and myself are at least partly to blame for what happened." As several pairs of eyes settled on the Demon Slayer, he lowered his gaze somewhat and admitted, "When we learned that the Reikikaega had the potential to...to revive our fallen kin, we demanded that InuYasha use it so. And we pressured Totosai to experiment with it, with Azusa wanting to kill something to see if the sword could do as Totosai believed it could. And so, he...he did what he did to prove the dangers of tampering with the sword's powers."

"That is true. But...I take no pride in what I did. My actions were more out of frustration and anger than reasoned thought," Totosai confessed with a lopsided frown. "And as a result of my actions, things...they went far out of hand. And...well, Sango's transformation, it..."

Glancing over at Sango, who visibly tensed at the mentioning of what happened to her, Shippo felt a great swell of pity for her before turning back to the various members of the council they were reporting to.

The meeting was taking place in the largest of the eastern caves that were serving as the Demon Slayers' temporary home until the fort proper and the many domiciles the Slayers would need were finally complete and ready for occupation. The portion of the cave they were in was a rounded chamber and was currently protected by a spell that created a soundproof barrier around those meeting in the cave. There were several lit torches surrounding the perimeter, with Shippo, Totosai, Sango, and Jiro standing in the center, and the members of the council seated around them.

As Shippo looked about at the council, he thought about what Jiro had said, how this group of Demon Slayers was much larger than the band of warriors that Sango had belonged to, and thus required a more intricate form of governing in order to function properly. And thus Daisuke and the others had set up a system, based on the various skill sets and abilities of the various groups of Demon Slayers among them. For while all Demon Slayers were by necessity skilled in the ways of battle, there were specialties and specific people who tended to matters essential to the day-to-day livelihood of the community. And each of those people was represented by three members on the council who were seated in groups upon simple pads.

Demon Slayers who excelled in hand-to-hand, weapon-based, and even special fighting skills such as Daisuke's Hand of Fate were considered as Warrior class, and were represented by Daisuke himself, as well as a smaller and stouter man called Atsutane with a thick beard and even thicker eyebrows that obscured his eyes, and a woman with blood-red hair, a fierce, animalistic expression, and a right arm that was encased in bronze named Machiko.

Those gifted in the realm of the spirit such as monks, priests, and priestesses of both Shinto and Buddhist philosophies were the Spirit class and were represented by a stern-looking and balding monk called Masamichi, who bore a long, oaken staff. At his sides was a matronly priestess called Sayo, and a petite, gentle-looking woman named Kei who was cradling what looked like a large, polished quartz crystal in her hands.

Wielders of magic such as practitioners of Kotodama and Shikigami Users were of the Mystic class, and were represented by Haruna, along with an elegantly robed man with a long beard called Seiesnsui, and a male who appeared little older than Michiru and Kaname who had a thick, powerful staff laying across his folded legs named Ienobu.

Those who were skilled in crafting weapons, clothes, and designing buildings and other structures were of the Crafts class, who were represented by Teruyo, a tall, powerfully built woman with an immensely huge hammer, as well as a stout male called Yachi and an older man with long, nimble fingers named Hikosaburo.

Finally, the Demon Slayers who excelled in treating injuries and illnesses, as well as the use of various forms of poison, were the Healing class, and were represented by an older man with clear eyes and a handlebar mustache named Eisaku, as well as two women who looked to be almost twins called Tae and Tamami.

"Though I dispute the means by which Totosai demonstrated the folly of such testing, I fully understand his anger in this case," Masamichi decided, focusing his gaze upon Jiro. "Killing a living creature simply to experiment upon it without regard for the potential consequences to its soul is nothing short of blasphemy, and the worst form of cruelty and disrespect for the lives of other creatures."

"Maybe, but...what if Totosai's right?" Tamami wondered, glancing about at the rest of the council.

"If this Reikikaega truly can restore our fallen friends..." Tae added, trailing off as in fear of the possibilities she was giving voice to. "Shouldn't we at least...?"

"Fair questions, my friends. Especially in light of the losses we've so recently suffered," Daisuke nodded understandingly. "Haruna, Masamichi, you and your fellows are the most knowledgeable in the ways of the spirit and the forces we cannot see. What are your thoughts on the matter?"

"My thoughts are that there is far too much we do not know about this sword that we can risk abusing its powers in such a way," Masamichi declared with a slight frown. "There is much that we do not know or even begin to understand about the forces that lie beyond our world, about the balance between life and death, of the cycle of reincarnation and the realms beyond ours. To tamper with them without any real understanding of the perils of such an endeavor..."

"Agreed," Haruna solemnly, hesitantly seconded with a polite bow of her head. "As much as we have come to understand the natural forces within and without this world, it is nothing compared to what we still do not know."

"And let us not forget that it is the souls of our brethren that we are considering tampering with," Kei noted with a solemn expression. "We must ask ourselves if they are not best served by allowing them to rest in peace as they have earned."

"Very true," Seiesnsui agreed. "Jiro, you yourself indicated that there is much that we don't understand about the Reikikaega's transformational powers."

"That is correct," Jiro admitted before glancing at the Demon Slayer that was a part of Shippo's tiny little family. "Also...Sango..."

"As I said before...the Reikikaega had a...stronger affect on me," Sango admitted, her features taut and controlled, a dark shadow upon her eyes as she flashed back to her own nightmarish experience. "We do not know why, but...instead of reverting as Jiro did..."

"You continued to change. Becoming more demonic," Daisuke frowned warily. "And...you mentioned that this change had...an impact on your mind?"

"I'm...afraid so," Sango admitted, her cheeks burning with humiliation as Shippo looked on sympathetically. "I...I didn't care about how my...actions affected others. I..."

"You don't have to say anything more specifically on your own experience, Sango," Masamichi gently assured her. "But...in your opinion, would you consider the effects the Reikikaega's powers have on your mind and body potentially dangerous?"

Looking towards the healer, Sango pressed her lips together before nodding. "Yes," she confirmed. "Yes, I would. Both to the people transformed, and those around them."

"Then we have to think about what would happen if we were to try and bring someone back, and something went wrong," Ienobu noted, laying his hands on his staff. "We could bring our friends back as...some kind of monsters!"

"And I'm sure there is none among us that would wish such a fate upon any of our fallen friends and loved ones," Daisuke stated in a firm manner. "So I think we can all agree that - for the moment, at least - it would be far too dangerous for anyone to try and use the Reikikaega in anything other than an emergency. To be used on someone _newly _dead."

Though there was some reluctance among the various council members, reluctance Shippo understood very well, having lost loved ones himself, eventually the Demon Slayers agreed to this. "But you can _also _see why those with greed in their minds and hearts would dearly love to claim such a blade for themselves," Totosai pressed, looking imploringly at the members of the council. "And then there's the metal bird and the power it holds! Power that could easily rival even that of the Shikon Jewel!"

"Yes. Koga told us about the bird, though it's clear he didn't know the full scale of its potential," Daisuke mentioned before looking at another of their number. "But we do know that it contains awesome power. When Kei tried to show it to us with her viewing stone, the sheer energy within very nearly overwhelmed it."

"And right now, it's sitting out in the open!" Shippo chimed in worriedly.

"Yes, and while the energy field that surrounds it prevents anyone from touching it directly, that does not mean that it can't be stolen," Jiro nodded in assent. "And if someone were to use it to make weapons to be used against us -"

"It would be nothing short of a disaster," Daisuke nodded in a thoughtful manner.

"And that is why we have come here; to beg for your understanding and your assistance in protecting both the Reikikaega and the bird from those that would take misuse their power!" Totosai implored them. "For if they were to ever fall into the wrong hands...!"

As the aged blacksmith trailed off dramatically, Machiko glared harshly at him. "So you want our help, huh?" she growled menacingly, draping her armored arm in her lap as she glared at Totosai. "And what do _we _get out of it?!"

His eyes widening in surprise, Jiro then narrowed them in anger. "Machiko, with all due respect -!"

"Don't get worked up, kid! I know your heart is in the right place and all that, but think about it!" Machiko continued with a glare. "We already lost a lot of good people and got our old home blasted to bits, dealing with this freak, uh...what's his name again?!"

"Naraku," Daisuke reminded her.

"Right, Naraku. Whatever," Machiko muttered in a dismissive manner. "What I'm saying is that we're already in bad shape. And as much as I love a good fight, that doesn't mean I'm willing to stick my neck out if there's nothing in it for us!"

"But there _is _something in it for us; the good of our world," Sayo murmured, glaring pointedly at Machiko. "We have our duty to this world and all that lives in it. And to blithely turn our backs on -!"

"Don't give me the speech! I'm all for fighting the good fight! The same with the rest of you!" Machiko countered in a manner that reminded Shippo of InuYasha. "But that doesn't mean I'm above getting _paid_ for a hard day's work! When people hire us to kill demons, they _pay _us for it! It's how we make a _living, _dammit! But what's the upside to us getting involved in _this_ mess?!"

"I hate to admit it, but she's got a point there," Teruyo muttered sourly. "We're just starting to build up everything we lost from scratch, and I'm stuck training kids who haven't seen nearly enough summers to be working the forge full time! And then there's building up supplies, and -!"

"And food, something we _still _don't have enough of!" Machiko reminded them with a scowl.

"Those are all very fair points," Haruna slowly nodded. "However, I think that we _do _have a reason to help our friends; enlightened self-interest."

Scowling deeply at the Shikigami Master, Machiko wondered, "And what's that supposed to mean?!"

"It means that our friends have _already _done a great deal in our name," Daisuke reminded them all. "They fought alongside us in defending our people from Naraku's forces, they won us food and medicine we desperately need. And if I might remind you all, they fought on our behalf, winning the tournament that made our current alliance with the wolf-demons possible."

When Machiko wrinkled her nose in disgust, leaving Shippo to think that she had not been entirely in favor of the alliance, Haruna went on to say, "And I am certain that our new friends will continue to be a great asset to both us and our wolf-demon allies. Assisting us in many different ways." A tiny growl sounded in Sango's throat at this, catching Shippo by surprise. But before the little fox could give any thought to this, the Shikigami Master went on to say, "Also, as it has already been stated, it would be dangerous for someone such as Naraku to claim either the jet or the Reikikaega, let alone both. And given his nature _and _the fact that he attacked us and instigated the destruction of Sango's own village, I think we can agree that our survival may depend upon us helping our friends."

Scowling disdainfully at this bit of logic, Machiko shot back, "Well, if our friends are so in need of our help, then _they_ should be willing to help _us_ in return! And before you remind me that they've already been helping us, let me remind you that they're asking for a big commitment on our parts! Protecting this sword and that bird and all the rest of it, and while we've already got plenty of problems of our own!"

"So what you're saying is that they should also be willing to make a similar commitment to us," Haruna gathered, a slight smile on her face.

"Damn straight, I do!" Machiko declared, once again reminding Shippo of InuYasha. InuYasha on a _bad _day. "It's one of the oldest rules out there; you scratch my back, and I'll scratch yours!"

As these words echoed in the cave, giving Shippo a bad feeling, Yachi cleared his throat and asked, "Master Totosai, about this bird...you said that the material it's made from can be used to make powerful weapons. Weapons far superior to anything we have right now."

"Yes, that's true," Totosai confirmed with a quick nod. "Just the thought of what I could make with such material staggers my mind!"

At this declaration, Yachi exchanged glances with Teruyo, and as the two of them looked at each other, the large woman smiled knowingly. "Well, then...if we're going to be guarding this bird...you wouldn't mind sharing it with us, would you?"

Grunting in surprise at this, Totosai gave the woman a look. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that, if we're risking our necks to protect this bird you're aiming to make weapons out of, then why don't we get some of that sweet stuff for our _own _weapons?" Teruyo wondered with a smile as she shifted her hammer. "After all, there's only so many weapons you and your friends can handle. Why not use this bird to boost _our _arsenal as well?"

A beat passed before Sango decided, "That's not a bad idea. That would give us all a better chance at fighting Naraku." Then she glanced over at their own resident blacksmith and asked, "What do you think, Totosai? Would you be willing to let the Demon Slayers have some of the metal from the bird?"

Frowning mistrustfully with noises of unhappiness sounding in his throat, Totosai lowered his head and pulled at his faint beard for several seconds. "Well...I suppose if...that's the price of keeping it safe..." he mused with great reluctance. Then he narrowed his eyes at Teruyo and declared, "But only if you'd be willing to heed my advice on how to use such potent material! With so much raw power flowing inside of that bird, it would have to be properly refined and tempered before it could be safely used!"

"Fine by me!" Teruyo declared with a wry grin. "Besides, you're not the only one working a forge! And if this bird is everything you say it is, then you better believe I'd love a chance to work the stuff it's made from!"

As Totosai considered the massive female blacksmith and her enthusiastic expression, he issued a heavy sigh. "I suppose you would, at that," he finally admitted with a reluctant smile. "Well, I guess that's a fair bargain, then..."

Pausing to consider this, Haruna smiled knowingly. "See, Machiko? We're already...scratching each other's backs, as you would put it," she informed the irate warrior. "And I'm sure there are many other benefits that working with our friends will bring us."

Snorting loudly at this, Machiko shot back, "Like the 'benefits' _you're _interested in! And don't bother denying it; that's what you've been going on about since this bunch left for Tsuzumi in the first place!"

"What I'm interested in is the advancement of _all _our people," Haruna protested in a mild manner. "And while we may disagree -"

"Haruna, Machiko, please. That is a debate for another time," Daisuke protested, holding out his hands towards the arguing women, all the while looking like he wanted to be anywhere but right there. "What matters at the moment is that we agree that we _can _work with our new friends, for the protection of the people at large, in a mutually beneficial manner." When neither woman challenged this, the leader of the Demon Slayers looked about at the rest of the council. "We _do _agree on this, do we not?"

For a long while, the various advisors and council members glanced among themselves, studying each other as if searching for any sign of disagreement. Several seconds passed in which no one offered any protest, but in which the silence was ended when Eisaku spoke up. "There are numerous herbs and plants that are hard to find in this region that have strong medicinal powers. And I've even heard word of a garden tended to by a monstrous demon, with herbs that are potent against demonic poisons," he began, looking squarely at the group. "If you and your friends could fetch us samples of such plants so that we could grow them ourselves, I for one would have no protests against such an arrangement."

Realizing what garden the healer was speaking of, Shippo smiled and replied, "Well, yeah! Sure! We can get you that stuff!"

"Then it would appear that we are in agreement," Daisuke declared, clearly glad to have settled this matter. "We will, of course, have to determine a safe location where we can keep this bird once it's moved, but that shouldn't be too difficult."

"Uh, yeah. About that bird," Teruyo spoke up. "If it's all the same, I wouldn't mind having a chance to go down to Tsuzumi Village and look it over. Just to see with my own eyes if it lives up to everything we've heard about it."

Pausing to consider this, Daisuke eventually shrugged and nodded. "I see no harm in this. And in all honesty, I'm rather curious about this bird myself," he admitted. "We could take Kokoro to Tsuzumi Village tomorrow."

"Works for me, as long as Kokoro can handle the extra load," Teruyo decided as she stood to her full height, displaying a large body that was not the slightest bit flabby.

"Also, there is one other matter," Masamichi spoke, his hand raised in caution. "It pertains to those that were transformed by the Reikikaega's power. I would like for myself and those with me to examine them, to make certain that there're no lingering side effects of their transformations." A beat passed as he considered the small group before adding, "As has already been stated, there is much that we do not know about the Reikikaega, and the potential dangers regarding its powers. And given the extreme nature of their changes..."

Nodding to this, Daisuke replied, "A good idea. It would be wise to make certain that our friends suffered no lasting effects of their ordeal." Then the Demon Slayer leader looked at Jiro and asked, "What about Azusa? Where is she? You said she was transformed as well, and I heard she was here."

"Uh...yes. She decided to wait outside and check on the weapons and armors being forged for the wolf-demons," Jiro hesitantly reported. As several sets of eyes fell upon him, he nervously rubbed the back of his neck before adding, "When she heard that we would be reporting to you with Totosai, she declared that the only way she would spend any more time in his presence would be if she were going to rip off his head, and..." Coughing slightly, the Demon Slayer made noises of discomfort before adding, "Well...what she said...I don't feel comfortable repeating..."

"I think we get the idea, kid!" Machiko declared with a wicked grin. "I should meet this wolf-demon! She sounds like my kind of bitch!"

Not doubting this for a second, Shippo groaned even as Daisuke stated, "Even so, I think she should be examined as well, if only as a precautionary measure." Then he turned his eyes towards Sango and added, "I'd also like for them to have a chance to examine Kanna, given what you've told me about her own experience with the Reikikaega."

Sango visibly winced at this, not that Shippo could blame her; the Demon Slayer was doubtlessly reluctant to expose Kanna to such a situation, especially given the former incarnation's role in the tragedy so recently suffered by the Demon Slayers. "I...understand..." she finally spoke. "But...only if I'm there with her." When Daisuke nodded to this, the woman warrior shifted about uncomfortably before asking, "You...you said before that you wanted to talk to me about Kanna. Will you...?"

"No. What I have to talk to you about is something best said when she isn't present to hear it," Daisuke declared in a no-nonsense tone. "Besides, as soon as we're done here, I have other work that needs to be attended to." When Sango nodded her understanding, the leader of the Demon Slayers glanced about at his council. "Now, unless there are any other questions or matters that need to be attended to...I suggest we get to work."

* * *

"Now, Kanna, I need you to stay still for just a few moments," Sango murmured as softly and gently as she knew how even as she cradled the former incarnation, who was clinging tightly to the Demon Slayer as she stared warily at Kei. "I promise, she won't hurt you."

A short time had passed since the meeting with Daisuke and the council, and now Sango and the others were in another section of the caverns. They were presently inside a large chamber with the three representatives of both the Spirit and Mystic class, and were presently undergoing the examinations requested by Masamichi, with the Mystic council members providing backup in case something went wrong, as well using their magic to create barriers of silence around them similar to the one used for the meeting, to make certain that no one learned of the situation who ought not know about it, and to allow each of the spiritualists to concentrate their full attention on the task at hand. At that moment, Sango was seated on a small cot, holding Kanna so that Kei could examine her, with Ienobu sitting cross-legged nearby. Masamichi was studying an anxious Shippo and an irate Azusa, with Haruna projecting her own barrier of silence, and Sayo was treating Jiro while Seiesnsui stood at the ready.

"She speaks truly, Kanna," Kei assured the frightened little girl, the petite woman sporting as tender a smile as could be imagined. She was garbed in a white kimono with a light blue dress, and her hair was short and silvery in color, with deep, soulful eyes of lavender. "I only want to examine you. To make certain that you are in good health."

Which was true enough, Sango decided, not entirely comfortable with all of this. She had known from the beginning that there would be some troubles in bringing Kanna to the mountains, especially given that Miroku had already explained to Daisuke his theories about how the former incarnation of void had possessed one of his people, giving Naraku the opening to sack the fort. And as much as she was certain that Daisuke and those he trusted would not hold Kanna accountable for her actions, not when she had had Naraku holding her life and heart very literally in the palm of his hand, she now couldn't help but worry that there would be those among the Demon Slayers and the wolf-demons that might well resent her for her connection to the demon that caused so much misery for both peoples.

And it was clear that Kanna was even more uncomfortable. For even as Sango knelt on the cave floor, holding Kanna in a reassuring manner, the former incarnation recoiled even from Kei's gentle manner, clinging tightly to Sango in spite of the warrior woman's gentle words.

"Kanna..." Sango began, feeling a deep swell of sympathy for the former incarnation. Dealing with members of her own group had been hard enough, but now that she was being confronted by total strangers, and even worse, strangers that had plenty of reasons to hate her...

"Perhaps I can help," came a voice from off to the side. Turning about, Sango saw Ienobu rising up before starting towards them. He was garbed in a faded green shirt and matching baggy pants, as well as a set of sandals. His hair was a lighter shade of brown, and he had a fairly easygoing look on his face. He had an oddly structured staff, with the ends thicker and more solid than the center, which was longer and looked like it was made up of four separate staffs clustered together.

"Uh..." Sango began uncertainly, glancing down to see that Kanna was reacting as warily of Ienobu as she was to Kei.

"Maybe it would be easier if Kanna were to just...sleep through this," Ienobu thoughtfully mused, smiling softly as he came approached the three women. Pausing a few feet away from them, he knelt down on one knee and smiling pleasantly at the fearful girl. "What do you think?"

A slow smile appearing on her own face, Kei replied, "I think that's an excellent idea."

Nodding to this, Ienobu looked directly into the former incarnation's eyes. "Kanna," he spoke, his voice sounding differently to Sango. Stronger, more penetrating, almost seeming to echo even as Kanna's eyes widened somewhat. "Sleep, and dream peaceful, happy dreams."

As these words echoed in Sango's ears, the effect they had on Kanna was almost instantaneous. The former incarnation's eyes quickly fell, with her wobbling about in Sango's arms just before falling back against her breasts. Looking up from the girl to the person responsible, the woman warrior glared suspiciously at him. "What did you just do?!"

Smiling easily, Ienobu replied, "I made her fall asleep."

"Ienobu is a Kotodama Master, Sango. One of our most potent and experienced mystics, in spite of his young age," Kei chimed in. "He manifests his magical power through his words, which he can use to influence people, places, and objects alike."

Blinking a few times at this, Sango glanced down at Kanna, whose chest was rising and falling evenly. "Then...when you told her to sleep..." she gathered before raising her eyes back up at Ienobu. "I've...I've _heard _of Kotodama before, but this is the first time I've ever met anyone who used it."

Smiling pleasantly, Ienobu glanced down at Kanna. "Anyway, I...I'm sorry if I scared you. But Kanna was clearly upset and getting more scared by the moment. I thought it would simpler for everyone if she could just sleep through her examination."

Which was true, Sango had to admit. And while Kanna would have to learn to deal with strangers, cope with her fears, perhaps now was not the best time, not under these circumstances. "I think you're right," she finally decided. "Uh...she _will _be alright, won't she? You won't have to...wake her up?"

"No. She'll sleep normally...though with peaceful, happy dreams," Ienobu assured her with a gentle look.

Nodding to this, Sango watched as Ienobu backed away a bit, allowing Kei to gently place her hands upon the girl she held. But as she watched the examination progress, the Demon Slayer frowned and wondered, "Uh...listen...about Kanna..." When the spiritualist and the Kotodama Master paused and looked at her, Sango went on to ask, "How much...do you know about her? Did Koga or Jiro tell you much about her, or...?"

"Koga didn't say anything about her," Kei admitted even as she continued to work. "He merely stopped here long enough to tell us about the bird, and that you had succeeded in purchasing the supplies we needed. Then he left as soon as possible with a force of wolf-demons and Demon Slayers to transport the supplies back here."

Groaning in unsurprised dismay at this and realizing that a former incarnation of Naraku had hardly been a priority for Koga, Sango listened as Ienobu added, "As for Jiro...he mentioned that Kanna had formerly been a demon under Naraku's control, but had been transformed by the Reikikaega, and now you were taking care of her. That's really all we know of the matter." Glancing down at the little girl in question, the Kotodama Master shrugged and added, "But...he also told us that Kanna had actually been victimized by Naraku as well and that we were to treat her as such. And that you would explain things better when you had the chance."

Grateful that they had apparently not yet learned of Kanna's connection to the destruction of the previous fort and the many deaths to have taken place there, and that Jiro had made certain to explain that she was also a victim of the dread demon that was her bane, Sango heaved a deep breath before saying, "That's right, she _is _a victim. And...while I understand that you and...everyone else here hates Naraku for what he's done...please, don't blame Kanna for...for anything that might have happened while she was under his control." As both Kei and Ienobu paused, the warrior woman swallowed and thought back to the last time she had seen Kanna as a demon. When Michiru had argued in favor of sparing the lives of her and Kagura. "Naraku created Kanna from his own flesh, made her to be a weapon. She was born knowing nothing but what Naraku's will, and...if she had ever tried to defy him, he would have killed her instantly." Pausing to take a deep breath, she thought of one of the many things about their nemesis that sickened her right to her core. "Naraku holds the hearts of all of his incarnations. And if any of them were to try and turn against him, he'd crush their hearts instantly. So...they have no choice but to obey him."

As these words sounded, the two Demon Slayers before Sango were visibly sickened as well. "That's horrible," Kei breathed, her features paling as she brought her hand to her chest. "To be brought into this world solely as a weapon..."

"And to have no hope for freedom...except in death," Ienobu added, shaking his head as he tightly clenched his staff. "Makes me sick, just thinking about it..."

"And that's why I'm asking you to _please_ understand, and not condemn Kanna for what she's done," Sango pleaded of them, well aware of the irony in that she was now arguing the position that Michiru had once argued when she had been the one eager to spill Kanna and Kagura's blood. "I know that can't be easy, but...in a way, she's as much a victim of Naraku as any of the rest of us."

There was a brief pause as the spiritualist and the Kotodama Master considered Sango's words. "You're right," Ienobu finally nodded. "She is."

"But Kanna _will _have much to learn about compassion if life as a weapon is all she's ever known," Kei noted. But as Sango nodded to this, the spiritualist smiled gently. "But...I _do _think she's in good hands. And that...we should give her the _chance_ to learn compassion. What it is like to receive it...and be capable of it."

Gratified by the reaction of her fellow Demon Slayers, Sango held Kanna a bit more tightly. "Look...I know not everyone will...think of her in that way, so...please, don't tell anyone that you don't think should know about...what she used to be," she pleaded of them. "I'm going to be talking to Daisuke more about her sometime soon, and...I'm sure he'll explain everything to rest of the council, and..."

As Sango trailed off, Ienobu shrugged. "You don't have to worry about that," he stated. "When Daisuke first told us what Jiro had told him about Kanna, he made it clear that we weren't to share this information with anyone outside of the council."

"And I'm sure that Daisuke will be as supportive of you in this as we are," Kei assured her. "However, if that will be all...I _do _need to proceed with Kanna's examination." Then the spiritualist looked squarely at Sango and added, "And yours."

Shuddering at this reminder, Sango then nodded. "Right, of course," she murmured, wishing she could forget about what she had become earlier that very day. "I'm sorry. Go right ahead."

Nodding, Kei proceeded to place her right hand upon the sleeping Kanna's forehead, while looking at her through the viewing stone in her left. And while the spiritualist worked, Sango glanced about the large chamber and observed the others as they worked. She couldn't hear what was going on, due to the fact that each mystic's barrier isolated each group, but she could still watch as Sayo gingerly examined Jiro, looking squarely into his eyes while she looked to be asking a series of questions. As for Azusa and Shippo, the little fox was staring nervously at the bombastic she-wolf, who looked to be screaming her head off at Masamichi. Sango had little doubt that Azusa would be doing much worse than screaming if Masamichi didn't have her pressed squarely against the wall by means of his oaken staff.

Frowning again at the sight of Haruna, still remembering what she had done earlier, Sango lowered her eyes and instead focused on Kanna and the way Kei continued to scrutinize the former incarnation of Naraku. Continuing to examine her this way and that, until at last the spiritual sat up straighter and sighed. "I can detect not so much as a trace of demonic power in her," she stated in a firm manner. "However...there _is _something unusual about her aura."

Not liking the sound of this, Sango asked, "Unusual? How?"

"I'm...not certain," Kei admitted with considerable reluctance. "Her aura, it feels...pure, Sango. Purer than...well, any human I've ever encountered before. Beyond that of even the most devout of spiritualists."

Not at all sure what to make of this, Sango wondered, "But...she _is _alright, isn't she? There's no chance of her...reverting, or...?"

As Sango trailed off, Kei looked down at the girl in question. "None that I can detect," she finally admitted, pausing to caress Kanna's cheek. "But while she's no longer a demon, I _do _feel that there is something very...special about this girl, Sango. Something important." Pausing to look up and gaze deeply into Sango's eyes, the spiritualist frowned ever so slightly. "And...while I'm certain that you would do so anyway...I believe it is in your best interests to keep a close eye on her, to protect her."

Looking from Kei down to Kanna, Sango took in the sleeping girl. And as she did, she observed to her surprise the tiniest of smiles curling at the corner of her lips. Wondering what dreams she might be dreaming, the woman warrior nodded. "You're right. I _would _do it, anyway," she declared with a nod as she held Kanna close. "But...right now, I'm just glad that she's alright."

Nodding to this, Kei studied Sango for a moment before saying, "Now, I'd like for you to...set her down, for a moment. So I can proceed with _your_ examination."

Wishing for a moment that she could just forget about that, Sango instead issued a sigh of deep reluctance. She really didn't want any additional reminders as to what had happened that day, but at the same time, she knew that Kei and the others were correct in that they needed to be certain that there were no lingering side effects of her transformation. So with a frown and a nod, the woman warrior gently eased Kanna onto to the cot she knelt, pausing to make certain that the former incarnation was in a comfortable position, before saying, "Okay. Let's...let's just get this over with."

Nodding to this, Kei went to work, placing her free hand on Sango's cheek while peering at her through her viewing stone. She went over the Demon Slayer's frame slowly, scrutinizing every detail carefully, with a slight frown on her face the entire time. Her cheeks coloring somewhat as the examination ran its course, Sango glanced at the others who were being examined, taking whatever solace she could in the fact that she at least did not have to strip for this examination.

As Kei went about her work, Jiro was released by Sayo, with the two of them having a brief discussion. The Demon Slayer lingered after their conversation was done, at least until, Azusa's and Shippo's examination came to an end, with Masamichi visibly dismissing them. While the priest looked more than a little tired and fed up with everything, the she-wolf stomped about furiously and looked like she was considering doing something extremely violent before Jiro came up to her and started talking to her. And while Sango couldn't hear what was being said, she could still see it when Jiro managed to usher Azusa out of the large cavern chamber they were in. And to Sango's considerable relief, Haruna departed soon afterwards, a serious look on her face.

"You can lower the barrier now, Ienobu," Kei suddenly announced in a serious manner, startling Sango out of glaring pure poison after the retreating Haruna. "I've finished."

Sango was able to tell the instant the sound barrier was dismissed because it was that same instant that she could suddenly hear the other alliance members discussing something quietly. And they could also tell that the barrier was gone when the woman warrior heaved a relieved sigh that this arduous experience was at last finished. "So," Masamichi spoke even as Kei turned to face him, "did you find anything?"

"Yeah!" Shippo piped up, looking squarely at the spiritualist with worried eyes. "Do you know what happened to Sango before?! Why she...well, you know!"

Pressing her lips together, Kei looked between her fellow spiritualist and Sango, looking rather unhappy about something. "I discovered a taint of some kind. A lingering, demonic taint unlike...anything I've encountered," she finally reported, looking not at all happy about this. "And...while I can't identify its nature, I...I _can _tell you that it has permeated your very being, Sango. It's present in both your flesh and your living aura."

Her eyes widening with clear astonishment, Sango gasped in shock. "What...?!" she breathed, barely able to fathom what was being told her. "But...how?! How's that possible?!"

"I don't know. As I said, I have never once encountered this particular form of taint before," Kei somberly explained. "But...it _is _the only abnormality I have sensed in you, so...I can think of no other reason for...what happened to you before."

"Is...is Sango going to be alright?!" Shippo worriedly demanded, fear inscribing itself upon his little face. "She's not sick, or...?!"

As the little fox trailed off, Kei gave him a wan smile of reassurance. "I sense nothing to indicate that she's in any immediate danger," she told Shippo. Then she turned her gaze towards Sango, her smile abandoning her. "However, I _do _recommend that you rest easy for the next few days. And if you notice any discomfort, anything unusual, that you report it to us immediately. In the meantime, we'll continue to investigate this. Try and learn what may have caused it, and if it will have any lasting effects."

Nodding her understanding, Sango sighed before glancing down at Shippo, then at Kanna. "So...can we go now? I'd like to put Kanna to bed, and...we still need someplace to stay for the night."

"You can go now," Masamichi nodded certainly. "However, I'm afraid you'll have to stay at the medical center, at least for the time being. Though our people have been working hard on new homes for our people, we still have precious little space available outside of these caves."

"Fortunately, most of our wounded have fully recovered. So there is room there," Sayo seconded with a wan smile. "I know it's not ideal, but..."

"No, that would be fine," Sango promptly assured the priestess even as she thought of Michiru, still resting there with Kirara keeping a close eye over him. Eager to be with him once more, especially after what had already happened. A beat passed before she added, "Um...I'd like to go back now. It's been a while, and...I'm sure Michiru must be hungry, so..."

"You need not worry about that," Ienobu quickly assured her. "Daisuke has made it very clear that your needs were to be taken care of. I'm sure that your friend is being tended to."

_Yes, but by whom?_ Sango couldn't help but wonder, again thinking about how quickly Haruna had been to disappear. What she actually said was, "All the same...I'd like to get back to Michiru now. See how he's doing." Then she glanced down at Kanna and added, "Also..."

"You need say no more," Kei assured her, smiling sympathetically as she looked down at the slumbering Kanna as well. Then she glanced about and said, "Ienobu, why don't you show Sango back to the medical center? I and the others still have much that need to be done."

"Of course," Ienobu returned, bowing his head politely towards her before focusing on Sango. "I hope you don't mind this, but...it's easy to get lost in these caves if you don't know your way around. And...with everything that you've already had to deal with..." When the Kotodama Master trailed off abashedly, the woman warrior nodded her understanding. "Uh, do you need any help with Kanna?"

"Thanks, but no," Sango assured him with a smile even as she bent down next to her charge. Moving as gently as she could so as to not disturb her, she carefully scooped Kanna up into her arms, making sure that her neck and back were adequately supported before turning once more to face Ienobu. "After you."

"Okay," Ienobu replied, bowing his head in return before starting away. Leaving Sango and Shippo to follow a short distance behind.

* * *

As Kei watched Ienobu and the group he as leading disappear from view, she became aware of a spell being woven around them. A spell that once again isolated their voices from the rest of the caverns, ensuring that they could speak without fear of being overheard. "This isn't good," Masamichi muttered worriedly as the group of spiritualists turned to look at each other, along with Seiesnsui. "The two demons seemed normal enough to me...but Jiro and Sango..."

"I know," Sayo murmured, a dark shadow flitting over her features. "Jiro's aura felt normal for the most part, but...the Reikikaega has _definitely _had a lasting effect on him."

"What did you say to him?" Kei wondered unhappily, not at all comfortable with what was going on. With the uncertainty of their situation, as well as the inescapable fact that, despite the fact that it was very likely necessary, they were still lying to good people by means of omission. "Did you...?"

"I warned him to take it easy for the next few days, and to alert us if he felt at all ill," Sayo admitted. "However, I _did _sense a demonic influence on his aura. Not enough to bring about Kasuga's Curse, but...I think the chances of him being afflicted in the future have increased greatly."

Frowning heavily at this, Masamichi then turned his eyes towards Kei. "And what about you? Is there a chance that Sango is afflicted?"

"I'm...afraid so..." Kei admitted, feeling as if a lump was forming in her throat. "I felt the deaths of many _powerful _demons upon her; she's battled forces far in excess of what most Demon Slayers ever experience. She's been bathed in their blood." Then she frowned slightly and added, "And that taint I felt...I've never experienced anything like it before. Between that and the Reikikaega's influence...there's no way for me to predict how it will affect her."

The grim expressions her fellows wore at this betrayed their concerns. "You're _certain_ this is something you've never dealt with before?" Sayo wondered unhappily. "Don't you have...any idea what might be responsible?"

Several seconds passed as Kei considered this question, as well as her possible responses to it. "I...there _is _one possibility I can think of," she finally, hesitantly admitted. "But...there's only one way I can be certain without asking Sango or her friends."

"Then do it," Masamichi instructed her. "Whatever we can learn that might help her, we _need_ to learn. In case the worst comes to the worst."

Nodding to this, Kei then frowned, her eyes lowering as vipers began snapping at her insides. "I wish we _could _just ask her," she was forced to admit. "She may not be of this village, but she's still a Demon Slayer. And she deserves to know the truth."

"You _know_ it's not that simple, Kei. You of all people should know that," Masamichi told her, his voice caught between scolding and sympathy. "If Sango knew or even _suspected_ what might happen, it would not only increase the chances of the curse manifesting, but it would make the affliction that much harder to combat. And if she fell under its sway before we were ready to turn it...you _know _what we'd have to do."

Kei knew. She knew that the fear and anxiety that the knowledge of Kasuga's Curse would inspire in someone would only eat away at them, ultimately feeding and strengthening the curse. And she had seen what happened when the curse overwhelmed a warrior. She had experienced the ugly reality of the curse firsthand, knew how damning it was.

Because it had very nearly ended in her death. In her having to be killed by her dearest friends.

"We had better inform Daisuke," Seiesnsui stated with an overtone of concern. "And Kei, do whatever you have to in order to determine the nature of this taint. Sango's _life_ might well depend upon it."

* * *

When consciousness slowly descended upon Kaname, she was slow to respond to its overtures. She was warm, content, and her belly was still full from the lunch she had prepared and that she and InuYasha had enjoyed.

But ultimately, Kaname heaved a heavy yawn as her eyes fluttered open, revealing her to be in the room that, until this day, had shared with Michiru. With what little light that remained making it clear that sunset was upon them, and near where she lay, she spotted a tray that held the dirty dishes and other flatware that was the remnants of her meal. And as the Kururugi girl slowly, reluctantly sat up and stretched, she noticed InuYasha lying on the floor a short distance away. The half-demon was clearly asleep, his chest rising and falling evenly, with his own tray laying a short distance away.

As Kaname took in this scene, the memories of how it had come to pass returned to her. After returning to the house, InuYasha had brought forth some of the food he had gathered for their use, which the Shikigami User had, with some effort, used to whip up a decent lunch for them. The two of them had taken their meal to her room for privacy's sake, with the half-demon not in the mood to be hassled by anyone, something that Kaname fully agreed with. And there they had passed the time, talking about little things around enjoying their meals. Just chatting about this and that, trying to put out of their minds all the chaos that had been falling down upon their heads in such rapid succession that they had been scarcely been able to keep up with it. With the last thing Kaname remembering was the pleasant drowsy sensation that came with a good meal and deciding to lie down for just a few minutes.

_Except that it looks like it was more than just a few minutes,_ Kaname thought somewhat ruefully as she surveyed the aftermath of her and InuYasha's time together. And as she studied the slumbering half-demon, she couldn't help but smile wanly. _For the both of us._

Still smiling, Kaname moved towards a nearby lantern and lit it with a small fireball. As fresh light spilled forth into the room, she again looked at InuYasha, who was slumbering peacefully with scraps of food still adorning his face. And remembered the pleasant day that they had spent in each other's company.

_Still, I better clean up,_ Kaname thought as she looked at the trays and the dirty dinnerware. _And with all the work Tamoa's been doing, cooking for us, I should at least take care of that. _With that in mind, she started to pick up her tray. But before she could do so, she again looked at InuYasha, sleeping the sleep of the innocent, and paused. Considering the half-demon's slumbering form for a time, she gave a weary smile and instead made her way over to one of the cots that was presently empty. Lifting up the blanket on top of it, she then made her way over to InuYasha's side once more, and with a gentle wave of the light cloth, draped it over the half-demon.

Making certain that InuYasha was completely covered, Kaname smiled at him once more before picking up the trays and making her way out of their room. And as she made her way downstairs so, she began to think.

Kaname liked InuYasha. And it wasn't as a friend, but something else. Something that she felt could become even more.

The half-demon was no Prince Charming, that was certainly true. He was short-tempered and had numerous issues, his table manners left a great deal to be desired, he had a great many rough edges and had a bad habit of leaping into a battle without a single thought. But these were faults Kaname could not blame him for, simply because she could understand how he had come to be this way. For she had seen how full demons reacted to those with mixed blood, and though she had not seen much of the people of this era, she remembered her brother's stories, and more importantly, she knew of the bigotry that existed in the modern world, how some would react to someone simply because they had a different color of skin, or practiced a different religion or anything of that nature. So while she had not seen much aside from some concerned looks and such from the people of Tsuzumi, she could imagine that there had been other situations in which people reacted far more harshly to the half-demon. And for even more pitiful reasons.

Also, Kaname knew from her brother's stories that InuYasha had lived alone for much of his life after the passing of his mother. And that before he had met Kikyo, it had just been him against the world, with no family or friends to fall back upon his times of need. And such a life would not have included the niceties such as proper table manners. And more importantly, InuYasha had a great many good qualities. He was brave and loyal to a fault, having been more than willing and eager to put his life on the line for the members of their little group, and even in the heat of battle, when Kaname had been confronted by the grim realities of battle in the Feudal Era, he had been able to spare a moment to comfort her. He had been a good friend and companion to her brother and to Kaname herself, a proud warrior who fought for those in need with his own sense of honor, and a good person who cared for those around him in his own way. He had suffered greatly over the course of his life, and in a very real way, Kaname understood the nature of that suffering. Of what it meant to have something within that could turn against you, could make you into something you did not want to be.

Kaname liked InuYasha. She liked being with him, she enjoyed talking to him, spending time together, and on the field of battle, they had proven to be an effective combination. And she had seen just how much pain he was in when he had bared his heart to her and her brother, confessing that he needed the Tetsusaiga to keep his fully demonic aspect in check, lest it run rampant and potentially slaughter those around him. And she had seen the way he had reacted when she had confessed her own suffering and had ultimately come to hold her in his arms.

And perhaps, if Kaname had the chance to explore a relationship with InuYasha more thoroughly...

_Of course, Kagome would _freak _over something like that..._ Kaname couldn't help but think when she reached the kitchen, her smile fading somewhat at this. But even as the raven-haired girl entered the Shikigami User's thoughts, she couldn't help but feel just a little dismissive of her.

It was true that Kagome had proven to be a good friend and a brave warrior in her own right. Had demonstrated her courage and compassion several times over the course of their journey. But those aspects of her personality tended to come out only when her own needs and desires were being met. When she didn't get her way, she possessed a temper that rivaled InuYasha at his angriest, she was jealous to the extreme, she was willing to turn a blind eye to things such as Miroku's abusiveness towards Hachi, and was obstinate to the point of ludicrousness in terms of supporting Miroku and Sango's relationship because, for whatever reason, that was what Kagome wanted. It was clear that she didn't trust Kaname or her brother, and she certainly didn't trust InuYasha.

_And then there's those awful Beads!_ Kaname thought even as she cast her Bubbling Great River spell to cleanse the dirty dishes. _She uses them for whatever reason! She even wore out her voice using them because she was mad at him about something!_ With a scowl, she added, _And with how easy _that _happens...!_

Shaking her head in disapproval, Kaname pondered the matter for a time more. And the more she thought about it, the more she felt like, just as Kagome was a good friend only when she was getting what she wanted, the same applied to her relationship with InuYasha. _And I've never seen the two of them do anything like what my bro and Sango do!_ she thought, recalling how easy it was to see that Michiru and the Demon Slayer loved each other, even in their simplest of interactions. Something that had been true even before Sango had finally declared her feelings for Michiru. _The only real relationship I see between InuYasha and Kagome is them getting mad at each other! They don't spend time together or anything like that!_

And in Kaname's mind, that didn't qualify as a real relationship. Not in the slightest. In fact, it was more like the toxic situation that had existed between Sango and Miroku before the Demon Slayer had finally decided to be done with the perverted monk.

_Besides, Sango and Miroku were together when my bro first came here, and that didn't stop him from loving Sango and wanting to be with her,_ she thought as her magic did its work and left the dishes perfectly clean once more. _And now, the two of them are together! And I can tell that Sango's a _lot _happier with my bro than she ever was with that monk!_ As Kaname moved to put the now-clean dishes away, she considered the slumbering half-demon upstairs. _So...why can't I do the same? Why can't _I_ be with InuYasha, and try and make a relationship with him?_

The more Kaname considered the situation, the more she felt like there was no reason for her not to do so. And so she started away from the kitchen and started outside, walking around the Feudal manor that was their temporary dwelling, studying the stars and thinking her own thoughts.

_If my bro can make things work with Sango, then why can't I make things work with InuYasha?_ Kaname idly thought, studying the stars that shown in the sky, what little sunlight having faded with the night. _It's just too bad things aren't like with my bro's first journey here, where we could spend some days off together. Pairing off with whoever we wanted to,_ she couldn't help but think, recalling Michiru's stories of his days off with Sango. As well as the one day off they had had that had been promptly ruined by demonic grass, followed by one mission after another that had left them with little to no time for rest and recovery. _If only we could...huh?_

There was something moving in the air. Something that flitted about near one of the windows to the manor, undulating in a serpentine fashion. As Kaname looked up at it, letting out a gasp of surprise, the thing looked down at her for a time before flitting downwards and flying off in a different direction.

"Wha-?!" Kaname cried out as she watched the thing fly off, watching it closely. For while it had gotten close to her only for a brief time, it had been enough for her to get a good look at it. To see the almost reptilian head and the fin-like ears, the six spindly legs situated below the jaw, and the long, silvery, sinuous body.

And as she thought back to her brother's stories about his first journey, recalled his sketches of people and things he had encountered, Kaname gasped once more. For while she had never once seen a creature such as this herself, she knew exactly what it had to be.

"A Soul Collector...!" Kaname whispered in almost fearful amazement. "But...that means...!" Watching as the creature continued to fly away, the Kururugi girl frowned and bent her knees even as she conjured, "Swift Blue Sky!"

Even as a pentagram swiftly spun into existence at her feet, releasing her Wind Shikigami and its power to her surround her, Kaname then sprang forward, her leap carrying her far higher and far faster than it would have normally done, sending her flying past several buildings to land in a nearby alley. Not wasting a second, she then broke into a run, sending up clouds of dust as she pursued the serpentine creature. A pursuit that soon took her into the tilled fields of Tsuzumi Village.

Her view blocked by the many huge stalks of vegetation that now surrounded her, Kaname was forced to depend entirely on the supernatural senses of her Shikigami to guide her. But those senses were now reacting to something else, something with overwhelming power. And as she continued to run, she caught glimpses of a tremendous blue aura.

But Kaname didn't care about that. All she cared about was the creature that she was following. Right up until the moment when she broke into the clearing that the transformed jet's power had cleared. And as she once again looked at the modern war machine, crackling with purified energy and surrounded by an aura of blue energy that was so thick that it was almost like jelly, she also saw the woman standing next to it.

Freezing in surprise, Kaname studied the woman who was even now turning to look at her. She was clearly a priestess, marked as such by her red hakama and white haori. She had a bow in hand and was surrounded by several of the serpentine creatures the Kururugi girl had seen before. But as Kaname stood there, observing the strange priestess, her eyes focused squarely on her terse expression. On the face that wore it.

"Omigosh..." Kaname breathed in surprise, feeling a slight chill run down her spine. "You're...Kikyo, aren't you?"

* * *

"Here you go, Michiru," Sango smiled as she helped him sit up on his cot even as Shippo handed him a tray that held one of the small dinners that had been delivered there by the healers at the medical center. "I know it's not much, but..."

"That's okay, I don't mind," Michiru weakly replied even as he carefully moved to accept the tray and place it on his lap. Knowing full well that the present shortage of food and medicine limited the hospitality that the Demon Slayers could afford them. "I'm just glad that we don't have to live on instant noodles... "

Nodding to this, Sango watched as Michiru moved to grab a set of chopsticks, only to place her own hand upon his. "Here, let me," she told him, smiling gently even as she positioned herself to his side, bracing him up as she took hold of the chopsticks. "You're still tired, and...you've been through a lot today."

_That's for sure,_ Michiru couldn't help but think, recalling what had happened before. When he and Haruna had been having what had started out as a perfectly innocuous, innocent conversation. One that had been turned right on its head by Haruna's outlandish request, with Michiru's world following. Before he had even realized what was happening, the Kururugi boy's view had spun right out of control, just before he had fallen into unconsciousness.

When he had finally awakened, it had been to Sango's sweet, concerned voice. A voice that had been followed by her touch, and it was these things that had guided Michiru back to the waking world and again into the embrace of the woman he loved so dearly.

_I still can't believe this is still the _same day_,_ Michiru grimaced, thinking about how it had begun with Miroku's confession, followed by Sango's transformation, and then the journey to the mountains and all the rest of it. _If it weren't for the fact that it's _night_ out now, I'd have sworn it was _never _going to end!_

As Michiru glanced out the window that revealed the evening sky, his gaze wandered to the other occupants of the small room. Kirara was presently enjoying a can of tuna that Sango had opened for her, while Shippo and Kanna had their own meals and beverages. Then he glanced at his own meal even as the Demon Slayer gathered up some rice with her chopsticks and guided it to his mouth. Not needing to be prompted, Michiru opened wide for Sango to deposit the food past his lips, and then waited for the chopsticks to retreat before he started to chew. "I hate this," he muttered, only to belatedly realize what he was saying. "I mean...I don't hate...but...I'm just really tired of..."

"Of not being able to do things for yourself," Sango concluded, nodding somberly. "Believe me, Michiru, I know _exactly _what you mean." Offering him a hopeful smile, the warrior woman added, "But...hopefully, it won't be long before you're back to normal."

Pausing to wonder if he even knew what normal was anymore, Michiru was shaken from his thoughts when Shippo piped up with, "Say! Is it true what Sango told me?" As Sango and the Kururugi boy looked in his direction, the little fox added, "You know - about Haruna asking you to -?"

"Ugh!" Michiru cringed even as he flashed back to that moment that had sent reality spiraling out of control for him. He cringed even more when he saw the way Sango's eyes narrowed angrily. "Well...!"

Looking at the Kururugi and the Demon Slayer, Shippo let out a low whistle. "Guess so," he decided, pausing to scoop more of his meal into his mouth. "But - wow. I wouldn't have thought someone like Haruna would do something like _that! _Even _Miroku_ waited until Sango was recovered before he first started hitting on her!"

A drop of sweat rolling down the side of his head, Michiru considered responding before Sango muttered, "I'd rather not talk about her right now. Let's just have our dinner, and -"

A gentle knocking outside of the room halted Sango in mid-sentence, prompting a groan of exasperation from her. But before any of them could wonder who was knocking, a familiar voice spoke, "Sango? Am I disturbing you?"

"Daisuke?" Sango spoke in response, frowning somewhat even as the door slowly slid open, revealing the Demon Slayer leader. "What are you...?"

"I hope you don't mind, but...I wanted to check and see how you were doing," Daisuke said by way of explanation. "I know I haven't had a lot of time for you, but...I did want to make sure you were all comfortable...among other things." As the Demon Slayer leader slowly entered the room, he bowed his head politely to the Kururugi boy. "By the way, Michiru, I'm glad to see that you've recovered from...before."

Wincing at the thought of the incident in question, Michiru watched as Sango frowned at the Demon Slayer leader. "Why are you here, Daisuke?" she wondered in a somewhat suspicious manner. "Is this about Kanna?"

"No," Daisuke instantly replied before glancing at the little girl in question, who had reacted to his presence by curling up further into the corner. "I simply wanted to talk to you and Michiru about what happened earlier, as well as offer my apologies for Haruna's behavior." Pausing to frown at this, dark shadows creasing his features, the weathered warrior went on to say, "I also wanted to let you know that I've ordered Haruna to keep her distance from Michiru, and to restrict any and all interactions with him to treating his condition. At least until he's fully recovered."

Even as Sang scowled, Michiru looked querulously at the Demon Slayer leader. "Daisuke...what was that all about?" he wondered. "Why did Haruna...why would she...?"

"That's...something else I wanted to discuss," Daisuke admitted, holding up his hands to them. "As I started to tell Sango earlier, a lot has been happening in the time you were all away from here. And it's given birth to a serious debate among my people." Heaving a deep breath, the Demon Slayer leader sat down cross-legged before them. "Michiru, do you recall giving Haruna texts relating to your Shikigami powers for her to copy?"

"Yes, that's right," Michiru nodded, once again unsettled by this. "Why? What about it?"

"Because those texts are at the heart of our debate," Daisuke somberly admitted. "Ever since Haruna acquired them, she and the other Shikigami Users have been studying them and the secrets within. Secrets that they have not only been able to apply to their own magic but have also proven to be of great benefit to those gifted in the ways of the forge and in construction, as well as practitioners of medicinal arts."

"Really?!" Michiru gaped, unable to fathom what he was being told. "But - how -?"

"I don't know. Haruna showed me some of the spells, and...I have to be honest; I couldn't make sense of any of them," Daisuke admitted with a touch of humiliation. "I've learned enough to recognize most forms of Shikigami magic, but the spells and information within those texts..." Recognizing the frustration upon the Demon Slayer's face and wondering once again if the secret arts entailed in the book given to him by his father were really so much more advanced than what existed in this time, Michiru looked on in silence as he continued. "As they began studying them, Haruna and the other Shikigami Users started working heavily with the Crafts and Healing classes, trying to determine the best ways to utilize the techniques detailed within the texts. And even as they worked on constructing this new fort, they began working on other experiments and projects."

"What kind of projects?" Shippo wondered.

"Many kinds. Most of which I can barely wrap my mind around," Daisuke admitted. "And...if you like, I can arrange for you to see at least some of them. Goodness knows that people have hardly been shy about showing off their latest accomplishments in recent times." Frowning wearily, the Demon Slayer lowered his eyes somewhat before continuing. "At first, I wasn't keeping track of what she and the others were doing, beyond the construction of our new home. Not with everything that needed to be done, and the need to curb the growing dissatisfaction of both our people and the wolf-demons." Then Daisuke looked up and gazed deeply into Michiru's eyes. "However, that all changed when a group of wolf-demons led by Ayame came here with an emergency."

"What emergency?" Sango wondered with a hint of concern. "What happened?!"

"Robai. The old wolf had collapsed in a fit of coughing, and was barely able to breathe," Daisuke reported in a solemn tone. "Nothing the wolf-demons could do was of any help, so they brought him here for treatment."

"Then...what happened?" Michiru asked nervously, recalling the cantankerous old wolf-demon that had raised Koga as his own. "Is Robai...is he alright?"

"Yes, but...at first, it didn't look like he would make it," Daisuke solemnly admitted. "Regular healing spells had little to no effect on him. His breathing became more labored, his coughing worse..." Shaking his head at this, the weathered warrior heaved a deep breath. "But then...Haruna and Eisaku combined their expertise with the knowledge within the texts you gave her, and were able to save him."

"Really?" Michiru frowned, caught between gratitude that the old man's life had been saved, and curiosity as to what was wrong with him. "But - how? Did they find out what was wrong with him?"

"Yes. Apparently, there was a corruption of his lungs. Portions of his own flesh had been warped somehow in his old age, and were actually damaging the healthy flesh of his lungs," Daisuke explained in a way that made it clear that he did not fully understand it himself. "So, by working together, Haruna was able to use her Light Shikigami to burn away the warped sections of Robai's lungs, while at the same time using the power of her Water Shikigami to heal them, and grow healthy flesh to replace that which had been destroyed."

_Wow,_ Michiru thought, considering what was being told to him. _It almost sounds like...using laser surgery to destroy lung cancer..._

"So Robai's okay now?!" Shippo wondered worriedly.

"Yes, he is. And the wolf-demons were extremely grateful to us for saving him," Daisuke reported with a smile. A smile that promptly faded as he went on to say, "However, Haruna was so pleased with what she and the rest of the Shikigami Users have been able to accomplish that she has been using this incident, among other things, to push forward an agenda of her own."

"What kind of agenda?" Sango frowned, clearly not liking the sound of where this was going.

Pausing to heave another deep sigh, Daisuke hesitantly continued with, "Haruna, along with other highly-skilled and learned members of the Mystic, Crafts, and Healing class, insist that we need many more Shikigami Users in order to make full use of the texts you've granted us. And as such...she's proposing that all male Shikigami Users among us be required to breed with no fewer than five women each."

The instant this was said, Michiru felt his jaw clatter right to the floor, and would have fallen backwards if Sango's body had not been bracing up his own. And it quickly became clear that he was not the only one who was in a state of shock about this; Sango's eyes bulged in horrified astonishment, while Shippo cried out and fell to his back. Kirara seemed to jump in surprise, and even Kanna froze with surprise at this.

Several seconds passed in total silence, broken only by Sango as she sputtered in an attempt to once again speak. Attempts which eventually proved successful when she blurted out, _"What?! She - she -!"_

"Yes. That was pretty much my own reaction," Daisuke sourly admitted. "She also wishes for all female Shikigami Users to have their pick of the strongest and most spiritually or magically gifted of the men here for breeding purposes."

If Michiru had thought for a moment that he was beyond being shocked, this statement would have immediately proven him wrong. "Wha- seriously?!" he managed to get out even as Sango glared on in disbelief. "But -!"

"Daisuke, you can't _possibly _be thinking of going along with this!" Sango vehemently declared, her eyes narrowed into slits as she studied the weathered warrior. "Breeding Shikigami Users just to -!"

"Believe me, all of you, I _don't_ want this!" Daisuke vowed to them. "All of the people here have their own gifts, and we each contribute something to our community as a whole! And to give special treatment to any one class of our community or single out any one of them as being more important than the others goes against everything I believe in! Especially something like _this!"_ Pausing to look about at the others, the Demon Slayer leader than heaved a wearied sigh. "But...I honestly can't ignore it, either. Haruna's proposal has garnered a great deal of support, both from her fellow Shikigami Users and those in the Crafts and Healing classes. And there are those in the other classes that...well, are not opposed to her agenda."

_They aren't opposed to treating women like baby factories?!_ Michiru wondered, but before he could put this thought into words, he remembered that the Feudal Era had much different standards than his own time. Polygamy was alive and well and perfectly legal in this time; if his history was correct, the nobility could have as many as five wives, while even commoners could have two or even three. So by the standards of this time, such a notion would be nowhere near as outlandish as it would be in his own era. _But...even so...!_

The way Sango's brows were furrowed made it clear that she felt similarly to Michiru about this. "Even so, Daisuke, what's this have to do with Michiru?!" she demanded. "He's not a member of this alliance! Neither am I, or the rest of us, for that matter! So how can she...?!"

When Sango trailed off, apparently unwilling to give further voice to this distasteful concept, Daisuke again sighed tiredly. "She can't, actually. Nothing is official as of yet," he admitted, causing them some surprise. "However, when she first revealed her proposal, she had also expressed an interest in requesting Michiru's...participation. As she's said before, the power of the spirits is exceptionally strong among descendants of the Kururugi Shrine, and her bloodline is potent in its own right. As such, she is certain that mixing the two bloodlines would beget children with tremendous magical strength. So when she learned that you were returning with Michiru...with all that you have already done for our people, and with the council still debating her agenda, she decided to make use of this opportunity to...outline her proposal and see if you were interested in participating."

"Did she _have _to do it by saying she wanted to bear his children?!" Shippo demanded incredulously. "We get enough of that sort of thing from Miroku!"

While Michiru was silently agreeing with the little fox, Sango frowned and scowled at Daisuke. "So...Haruna can't actually do anything to force Michiru to...?"

"No. As I said, nothing is official. And even if Haruna were to push her agenda through...as long as Michiru is not _officially_ a member of the alliance, or bound to any agreement with us...she can't legally force him into anything." But even as this admission sounded, the weathered warrior looked squarely at his fellow Demon Slayer. "But as I already said, Sango, the power of the spirits is exceptionally strong among descendants of the Kururugi Shrine. And with the discoveries being made as a result of his gifts to us...I can't help but feel that some of our number might be willing to overlook matters of legality in the name of getting what they want."

"Including Haruna," Sango muttered sourly.

"Indeed," Daisuke nodded as he turned towards Michiru. "She's one of the most powerful Shikigami Masters I've ever met, but...she's become obsessed with this new knowledge, these projects and theories. And so she would like to see you breed with her...along with _other_ women here. As many as possible. To give birth to _many_ Shikigami Users carrying the bloodline of the Kururugi Shrine."

As Michiru looked squarely at Daisuke, he heaved a deep breath before replying. "You can tell her that...I'm flattered, but..." he spoke even as he looked into Sango's beauteous face, "I already know who I want to be with. Whom I'd...like to have a family with."

Despite the situation, Sango couldn't help but blush somewhat, a tiny smile curling the corner of her lip. But it was a smile that was soon cut short. "I respect that. And I honestly hope that you and Sango have many happy years together and that you have a loving family of your own one day," Daisuke earnestly assured them both. "But I'm going to be honest with you both; Haruna has a great deal of support, and after the destruction of the old fort and losing so many friends, the idea of increasing our own power base has captured the minds of many people here. Also, the things that our people have already been able to achieve with the texts you've given us are already far beyond what most here would have imagined possible. And with the theories Haruna and the others have about what they could accomplish, as well as the projects they are already implementing...I'm very much afraid that there are those who would be more than willing to look the other way if it benefits us. So she may try and do something to bind you to our laws in one way or another."

Feeling his insides twisting about at this, Michiru glanced over at Sango, who wore a grim expression that he felt most likely mirrored his own. With the warrior woman finally asking, "So...what should we do?"

"As I've already explained, I've ordered Haruna to keep her distance from Michiru and not approach him, at least until after he's fully recovered," Daisuke reminded them. "And once that's done...I think that the best thing for you to do would be to leave here. As quickly as possible."

As Sango slowly nodded to this, Michiru frowned unhappily. _I don't get it...the spells in that book...are they _really _that advanced?!_ he wondered, still trying to make sense of this. _Why? What's so special about those spells?! What did Haruna find that I'm not seeing?!_

As Michiru considered this matter, the more perplexed he became. And, as he looked at Sango...the more important it became to him that they learn what exactly was going on.

_Because if the techniques in that book were really _that_ advanced, then...who knows what kind of damage I might have done to the timeline!_ Michiru thought, recalling all the various sci-fi movies he had seen where all it took was the slightest mistake to send all of time spinning completely out of control. _Before we leave here...one way or another, I _have _to find out!_

* * *

Author's Notes: I wasn't expecting to update so fast, but I had some ideas I wanted to jot down, and I kept jotting them down until...well, you can see the results right here. Hope everyone enjoys. So please, read and review! And maybe check out my other stories, please?

Now, some of you might be upset at Daisuke for disciplining Sango and scolding her for physically assaulting Haruna, but as the leader of the Demon Slayers, I can't imagine being willing to let something like that go, despite the fact that he is angered by Haruna's actions. Besides, I really don't like situations where hitting others in nonviolent situations is so quickly glossed over or treated as comedy.

As for those of you who complain about the Demon Slayers in general and Haruna in particular being willing to entertain such a breeding plan, please keep in mind two things. The first is that, in Feudal Japan, they had very different ideals about relationships between men and women. As J4RRE77 pointed out to me elsewhere, underage marriage, prostitution, and sexual slavery were all quite legal in that time period. Secondly, the Demon Slayers here have recently suffered seriously, both in the loss of their home and several of their number as a result of Naraku's attack, and the low supplies and the need to rebuild most of what they had from scratch. So I think those situations would make them far more likely to entertain Haruna's proposal.

IrishKatana, Michiru didn't handle Haruna's proposal well at all. As for Sango's reaction...you already saw it.

Keep Calm and Be Ninja, it certainly did escalate. Haruna will be a future problem in the sense that she will being what she honestly feels is best for her people, but her agenda will be clashing with that of Sango and Michiru. Janis will be appearing in the future, but you'll have to wait for a while. Miroku will be making some hard choices in the next few chapters as a result of the loss of the Wind Tunnel. And you are not the only one eager to see the relationship between InuYasha and Kaname grow.

J4RRE77, expect some tense moments between Haruna and Sango.

Uruz 11, it is nice to see InuYasha interacting with others on a friendly basis, something that he has problems with as a result of his social skills being so horribly stunted after a lifetime of loneliness. InuYasha's favor of Shippo is very important, and will have a dramatic impact on what happens in the next few chapters. Kagome has a lot of issues to get over, and she needs to grow as a character in order to prevent a repeat of what happened before. You're right in that damage she's done to her relationship with InuYasha is all but impossible to repair, especially given how thoughtless and selfish in causing those problems in the first place. The Wind Tunnel was indeed an awful curse, but losing it will impact Miroku in ways I'm sure you won't see coming. We'll be learning the fate of Miroku's mother in the near future, and I'll be addressing the situation with Kanna and even Kagura eventually. I actually saw a couple episodes of "Maburaho" myself, which was part of the inspiration I had for Haruna being interested in bearing some of Michiru's children, and you're right that the idea of having children with such power would be appealing, as Sango considered in the previous story. And you just saw what the disagreement (or at least a big part of it) between Haruna and Daisuke is about. Michiru will try to reason with Haruna once he recovers, but don't expect him to have much luck. And as for Janis, there's at least one walkthrough for "Inuyasha: Secret of the Divine Jewel" on YouTube, so if you're interested, you can always check one of those out.

Raidentensho, I hope you enjoyed Sango's reaction. And yes, this next incarnation of Naraku is going to be a real doozy. Things are going to be getting pretty hairy in the near future.

LeonioAria Niru, Sango not being pleased is an understatement. Michiru won't be changing his mind, but that doesn't mean Haruna will be giving up. In regards to Kagome, one of her biggest issues is one she has in common with InuYasha: pride. Which is admittedly followed closely by stubbornness. I can't see her throwing herself at her friends' feet, no matter how badly she's screwed up. I'm glad you're enjoying the InuYasha/Kaname moments, and you can look forward to more of them. Janis will be returning, and she'll be bringing some surprises with her.

Deiru Tamashi, you'll have to wait until the next chapter to learn what decision Miroku was speaking of. And Haruna throwing people for a loop was what I had in mind.

Greymon Leader Batx, don't expect Michiru to be cooperative with Haruna, but at the same time, don't expect Haruna to give up on him, either. Kagome has spent a lot of time running from her problems, so don't expect her to change her ways, at least not very fast. Bad habits take time to shed, after all. And you can look forward to more InuYasha and Kaname in the future.


	4. Mending the Broken

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha, or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Legacy of the Cursed Mask: Battle Across Time

Chapter 4: Mending the Broken

As InuYasha's eyes slowly opened up, they were greeted with little more than darkness. As his ears pricked at the air, they caught nothing but distant noises of movement and muted, distant voice. And as his nose read the lingering scents that filled the air, his mind rising up to full consciousness was filled with the images of good, precious friends.

_I...I'm in Michiru and Kaname's room...?_ InuYasha thought, blinking a few times even as he glanced about at his surroundings. But as he became more awake, recent memories flitted through his mind, causing him to sigh and smile. _Oh, yeah...that's right..._ he thought, a slight smile gracing his face as he thought back to earlier when he and Kaname had come to her room for some privacy so they could enjoy a short break, a generous snack that the Kururugi girl had prepared using some of the game he had recently caught, and just relaxing and talking with each other. Doing little more than eating and enjoying each other's company before the good food in their bellies and the burdens of everything they had been forced to deal with in recent times finally caught up with them both, driving them to the realm of dreams. _Damn...when was the last time I was able to do something like that, anyway?_ Then he frowned slightly as he continued to study his surroundings, for he realized that something was missing. _Hey...where _is _Kaname, anyway? Did she - huh?_

Instinctively rising up, InuYasha realized to his surprise that there was a blanket draped about his frame. Studying the simple cloth like it was a foreign object, he required a moment to realize what had happened. _Oh...Kaname, she must've..._ he thought, his cheeks coloring ever so slightly. _Dammit...I'm not a little kid, you know..._

But even as InuYasha thought this lightly scathing thought, he still couldn't help but smile a tiny smile at this kindly gesture that had been shown him. A gesture only one other had shown him. _Mother..._ the half-demon thought, recalling the dark-haired princess that had won the heart of his father, and that had taken care of him for as long as she had been able to before she had ultimately been taken from him. And how she had given him all the love she was capable of, all the while mourning for him. Mourning the future of loneliness and persecution she had already known he was doomed to endure.

Only now...

_I'm not alone anymore, mother,_ InuYasha couldn't help but think, smiling in an almost sad manner. _I have others in my life now. People...friends I can trust. People who...who don't care if I'm a demon or a human or something in between. People who accept me, who _trust _me..._ And then that smile faltered, for just the tiniest moment when he flashed back to the last time when he had been alone with Kaname, and the conversation that had preceded that moment. _Even when I...I don't deserve to be trusted..._

In spite of everything, InuYasha still couldn't quite bring himself to believe what had transpired between him and the Kururugi twins. That they had been so willing to give him such unconditional trust and friendship, accepting him to the degree that they did. And more.

InuYasha and Michiru had spent a fair amount of time together, easily relating and interacting with each other during his original journey and now in their renewed mission to finally put an end to Naraku. The Kururugi boy had proven to be a good friend without any prejudices, and once he managed to get past his initial fear of demons, had soon grown into a good friend that the half-demon actually enjoyed having around. And now, Kaname was rapidly becoming the same to him.

_It's just so easy..._ InuYasha couldn't help but think, flashing back to his earlier lunch and conversation with Kaname. He could speak with her, and not have to worry about saying the wrong thing or accidentally upsetting her or offending her. He didn't have to worry about her lashing out in some way, or employing some form of magic to 'discipline him' for behaving in some way that she did not approve of. _I...I really like being able to...to just...talk with someone like that. Just...relax and be with her..._

As these thoughts ran their course, another memory flashed through InuYasha's mind. A memory of when Kaname had bared her own soul to the half-demon, exposed her own hurt and pain to him and shown him that they were more alike than he could have ever imagined. A moment that had led to them embracing each other eagerly, and eventually led to Kaname...

Sucking in a tiny breath at this, Inuyasha's cheeks coloring at the mental image of Kaname healing his injuries, right before leaning in...planting a gentle kiss on his forehead.

As he sat in Michiru and Kaname's room, a room that still held their lingering scent, InuYasha couldn't help but think about that moment. He had been kissed before; Izayoi had given him caring, motherly kisses as a child, and he had exchanged kisses of love and passion with Kikyo before Naraku's evil had struck her down. But with Kagome...

_Only once. She only kissed me that one time, when I was under the control of Kaguya. When she had unleashed my full-demon half,_ InuYasha thought with a sour frown. _I mean...okay, I _know _I'm not the easiest guy to deal with. Hell, half of the time I'm amazed that _anybody _would be willing to put up with me! But...!_

His thoughts trailed off at this, for the fact that InuYasha knew this to be a grotesque understatement. He had first met Kagome after being awakened from being cursed by Kikyo, and at that time had still been filled with rage and hatred over her apparent betrayal. And the idea of being tempted by another female, only to be betrayed once more, had filled him with such ire that he had become more determined than ever to leave his humanity behind. And as such he had done his best to bury his feelings for Kikyo. To never again let himself be sucked into a relationship with anyone else ever again. And so he had done his all to make a show of hating Kagome with all his heart even while he had already resolved to protect her. And while his anger had faded with the revelation that the fight between himself and Kikyo had been arranged, the pain from that apparent betrayal lingered nonetheless. Right along with all of the agony of being hunted and hated, of having no one to depend upon but himself, all because of his mixed blood. And so InuYasha knew that he was far from an easy person to being around and get along with.

_Still...that was a long time ago...wasn't it?_ InuYasha found himself wondering. _And...things really haven't changed all that much between us, has it? We still argue, and..._ At this point, the half-demon's brows furrowed in contemplation. For the fact of the matter was that, not only had things not changed between them, they presently seemed to be getting worse.

They had argued in the past, that was certain. Kagome had frequently put the half-demon through various guilt trips and had punished him for the simple reason that he didn't share the same ideals of love and moral values that she had. And to an extent, InuYasha had chalked up a lot of that to the fact that she came from a different time, a different world, one that was softer and kinder than his own. But ever since Michiru and Kaname had started coming with them...

_It's taken a while, but...things have been getting worse between us,_ InuYasha couldn't help but think with a frown. _Between getting mad about how Michiru was wrecking her little fantasy world and arguing with Kaname and all of the rest of it...dammit. _Pausing to give a slow shake of his head, the half-demon muttered inwardly, _Kagome's always complaining about _me _not growing up! Why can't she take her own advice?! If she acted a bit more like Kaname, then -_

"A Soul Collector...!" came a familiar voice from somewhere nearby. Somewhere outside.

_Huh?_ InuYasha started, his ears quirking and orienting on a voice that could only belong to Kaname. Right before his mind processed the words she had said, prompting his eyes to go wide right before he flung aside the blanket.

Rising to his feet and making his way to the nearby window, the half-demon looked down just in time to see Kaname invoking the power of her Wind Shikigami. "Swift Blue Sky!"

"What the-?!" InuYasha started, only to watch in momentary confusion as Kaname darted off at a speed far in excess of what a normal human could achieve. In a matter of seconds, the Shikigami User was bounding through the tilled fields of Tsuzumi Village, clearly heading in the same direction as the jet. "But - hold on! Didn't she say -?!"

Balking at the words Kaname had used, already realizing what they had meant, InuYasha scowled right before bounding out of the window, his nose locking on to Kaname's aroma even as he shot forward in hot pursuit. Propelled by his inhumanly powerful body, the half-demon soon found himself in the monstrous fields of grain and other produce that had been augmented by the transformed war machine that still hovered over the tilled farming land of the village. He continued to move as quickly as he could, until...

"Omigosh..." came Kaname's voice once more, even as a gust of wind carried the familiar scent of medicinal herbs, as well as bone chips, grave soil, and ash. A scent that he knew far too well, and was driven home by the words, "You're...Kikyo, aren't you?"

A moment passed before a very familiar voice replied, "I am, but...you...you're familiar, but..."

"Kikyo!" InuYasha cried out even as he emerged into the clearing that had been created by the aura of the jet, and quickly took in the situation. The jet continued to hover in the midst of the plants, surrounded in a potent aura of electric blue that was as thick as jelly and paste, with Kikyo standing a short distance away from it, surrounded by her Soul Collectors and directing a quizzical look towards Kaname, who was looking back at the priestess with an expression of confused surprise and astonishment.

Turning her gaze towards the half-demon, Kikyo's expression softened somewhat before she replied, "InuYasha. It's been some time." Then she returned her gaze to Kaname and continued to study her. "And you...we've never met, but...your look, your aura...they're very familiar to me. Almost as if we've met in the past..."

"You haven't. But...you've met her brother," InuYasha promptly explained, taking up a position at the Shikigami User's side. "Kikyo, this is Kaname Kururugi. She's Michiru's twin sister."

"Michiru...yes, I see it now," Kikyo nodded, the tiniest of smiles appearing on her face as she continued to look Kaname over. "Your hair, your eyes, your auras...you even wear the same symbol upon your chest as he does."

"Huh?" Kaname got out, only for her eyes to widen somewhat as she glanced down at her garments. "Oh, right! My school uniform!" she spoke, glancing down at the symbol that looked like a shield with a pair of letter 'D's placed back-to-back and tilted at an angle. The same as on Michiru's shirt.

"Kikyo...what's going on? Why are you here?" InuYasha wondered. Then he glanced past her and studied the jet that had once hung in the night days past and filled the sky with light. "Or do I even have to ask?"

"As you've already guessed, I've come about this...artifact," Kikyo confirmed, glancing back at the jet as it continued to rotate, suspended in its potent aura. "I saw it in the skies, drawing in the power of hundreds, possibly even thousands of demons. And I was certain that when I found the source of it all...you would not be far away." With that, the undead priestess and the woman InuYasha had once vowed to become human for slowly approached. "But that is not the only reason why I am here."

"What do you mean?" InuYasha immediately wondered, getting a bad feeling about where Kikyo was going with this.

"There _is _much that I need to discuss with you," Kikyo assured him. But then she glanced in Kaname's direction and added, "However..."

Quickly realizing Kikyo's concern, the half-demon glanced back at the Shikigami User and said, "Hey, whatever you have to say to me, you can say in front of Kaname."

Kikyo's eyes widened somewhat in surprise, and once again, she managed the tiniest of smiles. "I see," she finally said, giving Kaname a polite bow of her head. "However...I would feel more...comfortable speaking with you in private."

InuYasha hesitated at this and was about to protest before Kaname spoke up. "It's alright, InuYasha," she told him, drawing his gaze with a slightly anxious, slightly sad expression of her own. "I'll...head back to the house, and...wait for you to get back. Okay?"

A noise of uncertainty tumbled out of InuYasha's mouth, but before he could think of what he should say to her, Kaname turned to leave, pausing just long enough to glance back at the half-demon and the undead woman before departing into the foliage surrounding them both.

As InuYasha looked after Kaname, frowning somewhat at the expression she had worn as she had left, he heard something that he would not have expected; the tiniest of chuckles from Kikyo. "Yes...she _is _Michiru's sister," she declared even as InuYasha once again turned towards her. "I can see so much of him in her."

"Yeah, I know," InuYasha confirmed. "Now...Kikyo...what is it you wanted to talk to me about?"

Her expression promptly sobering into the virtually emotionless slate that had come to be her usual face since her revival, Kikyo then began with, "First, I would like to ask how this...thing...came to be here. What caused the transformation I saw happening in the sky that night?"

Deciding that this was a reasonable question, InuYasha gave a hesitant sigh before shrugging and starting with, "Well...that's kind of a long story..."

Nodding to this, Kikyo shortly replied, "I have the time for a long story, if you have the time to tell one."

Wincing as he once again considered Kikyo's undead nature, InuYasha gave a weary sigh before replying, "Yeah, I guess that's true." Pausing to gaze in the eyes of the nearly emotionless wanderer, at a face that was such a far and agonizing cry from the kindly and caring woman that he had fallen in love with, a woman that was filled with happiness, strength, and wisdom, the silver-maned warrior paused just long enough to say, "Alright. But...I can't tell you the whole story. Not out in the open like this. There's a lot of bad stuff happening, and...well, you know what they say about the hills having eyes..."

"Then tell me what you can, and you can explain more fully later," Kikyo instructed him.

Nodding in response, InuYasha took another deep breath before proceeding to tell Kikyo of what had happened in her absence. Of how they had found the jet from Kagome's time buried nearby, with the Reikikaega hidden within. Of Naraku's horrible attack, and how Michiru had been possessed by Ryuunosuke and ultimately rendered bedridden by the incarnation's evil. Of how close the people of Tsuzumi Village had come to being utterly annihilated, as well as how they had used the Reikikaega to thwart Naraku's schemes, with the jet being transformed in the process. He explained how Michiru had been taken to the mountains where the Demon Slayers would treat him, and he also mentioned that Miroku had left to get his Wind Tunnel tended to.

He didn't tell her of the full extent of the Reikikaega's power. Nor did he inform her of Miroku's dread theory about how, in another time, Naraku had triumphed. All InuYasha said was that the Reikikaega had tremendous power and that it would be dangerous to reveal its full extent to her under these circumstances. He also didn't go into the present alliance between the wolf-demons and the Demon Slayers, considering that an unimportant detail, at least for the moment. There would be time to bring her up to date on that later.

"I see. I _had _noticed your new sword," Kikyo admitted as soon as the half-demon had finished. She was even now studying the blade in question, which InuYasha had drawn halfway out of its hilt in order to show it to her. "But...I had not realized the power it holds. A power...so pure. Even beyond this...zet, did you call it?"

"It's a jet. From Kagome's and the twin's world," InuYasha explained, fully understanding how Kikyo could be flummoxed by such things.

"If this Reikikaega can accomplish such a feat, then it _is _very powerful. And _extremely _dangerous," Kikyo admitted with a slight nod. "However, there's more to it than you may realize, InuYasha."

"What do you mean?" InuYasha wondered with a raised eyebrow.

"While I was exploring the area, I found something I think you should see," Kikyo replied, already turning about and moving away. "Please, follow me."

Furrowing his brows somewhat as he wondered what Kikyo could have found, InuYasha soon moved to follow. The former lovers ventured through the woods, with the half-demon's nose filled with night air, and his eyes taking in the stars in the skies. And as he did so, he couldn't help but flash back to happier times. Times filled with love and passion, untainted by Naraku's betrayal. With only the reality of Kikyo's new body, signified by her inhuman scent, keeping him from fully embracing these memories. And only the reality of his current relationships that kept him from reaching out to this woman that he had once been willing to join in death and putting aside everything else, at least for a moment's time.

As it was, the half-demon was bogged down by the reality of his situation, as well as his wariness and curiosity as to what Kikyo had found. But when he finally saw what it was, InuYasha's eyes bulged in surprise as he sputtered out, "This - but that's -!"

"I take it that you've seen this before," Kikyo intuited even as InuYasha stared in shock at the demonic corpse that lay strewn out on the ground before him. A corpse that strongly resembled a large mummified wolf or dog without any eyes. Its fur was matted together like scales, and it looked like something had cut it open, revealing no traces of internal organs or anything else needed to maintain life.

"Yeah, I - we found it the night that Naraku attacked! But - this doesn't make any sense!" InuYasha proclaimed as he studied the corpse that he and Sango had taken apart in an attempt to determine its origin and what had resulted in its death. "When the jet was transformed, all the demons and anything with demonic power was pulled right into it! So we thought that it had absorbed this thing as well! How the hell could it still be here?!"

"Perhaps because there _is _no demonic power in this corpse," Kikyo informed him with absolute certainty. "This isn't a demon, InuYasha. It never was."

"It wasn't - then what _is _it?!" InuYasha demanded with a touch of frustration. "We couldn't figure out where it had come from, or how it had died or anything like that! So...what happened with this thing?"

"I found a lingering traces of its trail, and followed it to the outskirts of Tsuzumi Village," Kikyo informed him. "That's where I lost its trail. It just seemed to disappear near a strange hole in the earth."

"I know. Jiro - a new friend of ours - he tracked that thing as far as that before he lost the trail as well," InuYasha admitted, still not quite getting where Kikyo was going with this. "So...what about it?"

"Because, at first, I was confused and unable to make sense of what I had found," Kikyo admitted with perfect honesty. "But as I continued to study the area, I realized that the tracks of the creature had been shifting somewhat. Like its feet and body were physically changing."

Frowning somewhat in confusion, InuYasha hesitated before asking, "You mean...this thing was transforming? That it had started out as something else and was changing into this...this _thing _even as it was heading over here?" When Kikyo replied with a subtle, silent nod, the half-demon wondered, "So...what was it _before?_ And what caused it to change into...into _this?!"_

"I can't be certain as to this creature's original form," Kikyo admitted. "However, in the area where I first found any sign of its tracks, I noted a large hole in the ground, almost as if a tree had been completely uprooted." Then her eyes narrowed somewhat as she again focused on the InuYasha's new sword. "And as you've already said, this...Reikikaega is capable of physically transforming anything that lives. Perhaps even endowing a tree with the capabilities of a demon...if only temporarily."

As Kikyo's words sounded in InuYasha's mind, his eyes went wide as he flashed back to a day, shortly after he had claimed the Reikikaega, when he had gone with Shippo to test out its capabilities. And how he had learned the hard way how the powers of this Aura-Transmuting Fang and that of the Tetsusaiga would clash and explode whenever he attempted to wield them at once. And how such an explosion had propelled the Reikikaega into the trunk of a nearby tree...

"That tree..._dammit, _I should've realized...!" InuYasha cursed, unable to believe he hadn't made the connection sooner. "The Reikikaega...it must've transformed that tree the way it changed that other tree into that great big monster!" An expression of bemusement crossed Kikyo's face at this point, prompting the half-demon to explain, "It happened shortly after the battle with Naraku's demons. Totosai was experimenting with this thing, and he wound up turning another tree into this great big monster! You might have seen it's stone carcass sitting out on the road heading towards where the Castle Town used to be."

"I _did _notice that, but..." Kikyo admitted, right before her eyes again fell upon the Reikikaega. "So...this new sword is also responsible for that?"

"Yeah," InuYasha nodded even as he fingered the Reikikaega. "Dammit...with everything that's been happening, we didn't even check, but...I guess we're lucky that this happened _before_ the Reikikaega had absorbed Ryuunosuke's powers. Otherwise...who knows what we might have gotten instead of some dead monster?!"

Nodding to this, Kikyo then went on to say, "However, if this sword is capable of accomplishing such transformations...clearly, it had a great deal more power than you've admitted to."

Wincing at this reminder that, despite everything she had been through, Kikyo had lost none of her keen, insightful mind, InuYasha then sighed before saying, "Like I said, there's a lot that I can't tell you right now. Not out in the open like this."

"I understand," Kikyo promptly returned. "However, there is something that I must tell you right now." When InuYasha stood up straighter and looked squarely at the undead priestess, she went on to say, "Over the course of my journey here, I realized that there had to be others who had seen this...jet in the skies, and sensed the power radiating from it. And so I sent forth several Soul Collectors to see if anyone else was making their way towards Tsuzumi Village."

Realizing the intent of Kikyo's words, InuYasha scowled heavily. "And I take it that you spotted someone heading this way?"

"A few. Mostly bandits or other such opportunists," Kikyo admitted. Then her expression darkened somewhat before she added, "However, there _were _two others that I could find that could be a problem."

Not liking the sound of this in the least, InuYasha asked, "And they were...?"

"One appeared to be a samurai. I did not know him, but...I could sense great power about him," Kikyo informed him. Then her eyes narrowed slightly and she added, "And the other...was Sesshomaru."

_"Sesshomaru?!"_ InuYasha spat out in disbelieving horror and disgust. "He's coming _here?!"_

"Yes. He's still distant, and won't arrive for a while yet. For some reason, he seems to be taking his time about getting here," Kikyo assured him. "But there can be no mistake; he and his companions _are _coming here."

"Dammit...like things weren't bad enough as it is!" InuYasha snarled hatefully. "Half of us are away from the village, and we _still _have no idea where we can take the jet so we can keep them or Naraku or anybody else from getting their grimy claws on it!" Then he gave a disgusted snort before admitting, "Hell, we can't even really _move _it right now!"

"Moving it would do no good," Kikyo firmly stated. "With an aura as potent as that, anyone with heightened senses could track it far across the lands."

"Tell me about it," InuYasha sourly grumbled, shaking his head in absolute disgust for the kind of mess Naraku's scheming had dumped in his lap. "And what about that samurai you mentioned? You said he had powers or something?"

"Yes, though I can't tell you what kind of powers. Nor can I tell you if he's an enemy or a potential ally," Kikyo admitted with a slight frown. "All I can tell you is that he felt formidable and that you should be ready."

Heaving a deep sigh, angered by their current predicament, InuYasha then nodded and made his way over to the undead priestess. "Thank you, Kikyo," he said, placing his hands on her shoulders, recalling the warmth of her human body, rather than the cold of the body of ash and clay was her current form. "So...what are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to stay here, close to Tsuzumi Village," Kikyo informed him in no uncertain terms. "If the power of that jet ever fell into the wrong hands, it could prove disastrous for everyone. So I will stay close and keep watch for any who might try and take it for themselves."

Nodding as he saw the sense in this, InuYasha smiled to his former lover. "Thank you, Kikyo," he told her in honest gratitude. "It's good to know that you'll be here. And..."

As InuYasha lapsed into silence, Kikyo frowned slightly. "And what?"

"And...well..." InuYasha hesitated, unsure as to how to put this into words. "Let's just say that...it'll be nice to have you around. I mean, I know you can't really stay in one place for too long," he explained, knowing full well that the inhuman nature of her current body, her dependence on the souls of the dead and her ability to go without food or rest would betray her quickly enough to the people of the village. "But...well..."

Before InuYasha could finish his sentence, Kikyo moved and placed her forefinger to his lips. "I know. I know what you're trying to say," she told him in a gentler manner. "And...I'm glad to be with you again as well. For as long as I am able, at least." Despite the cold of her touch, the half-demon smiled. "You had best join Kaname and the others at the house where you are staying. Get your rest, and be ready for whatever happens."

Despite being reluctant to leave, InuYasha saw the sense in his former lover's words. For while his demonic body _was _powerful, it still demanded its share of rest and food and water. "Okay," he finally replied, stepping back from Kikyo. "If anything happens or you need any help, be sure to let us know."

"I will," Kikyo nodded. The moment lingered as the two star-crossed souls looked at each other, and as the half-demon slowly turned to leave, the priestess spoke once more. "And...InuYasha...?" Pausing to look back at her once more, the silver-maned warrior watched as a rare smile appeared on the face of the woman who had so little left to smile about. "I'm glad to see that you are making new friends."

A moment of silence fell in the wake of these words, but this silence spoke volumes and filled InuYasha's heart with warmth as he smiled in return. "Yeah..." he returned with a tiny sigh. "I'm glad, too..."

There was more that could have been said. Possibly a great deal more that should have been said. But InuYasha knew of no words that could express what he was currently feeling. And so instead he let his eyes linger upon Kikyo for a short while longer before finally turning to make his way back to the house where he currently was staying...with his friends.

* * *

"Is that so, huh?" Mushin intoned with genuine sympathy even as he carefully examined Miroku's right hand and forearm. "You and Sango...aren't together anymore?"

Wincing in palpable pain at this latest reminder of his tremendous loss, Miroku issued a wearied sigh before nodding. "I'm afraid that's true," he hesitantly admitted, once again reliving that moment when Sango had declared both her love for Michiru, and her disgust for the reality of what Miroku was. "And to be honest...I've come to believe that we...haven't been together for quite some time..." Even as Mushin sadly clucked at this, the younger monk looked out at the landscape surrounding the temple. Searching out truths...and finding none.

The day had passed slowly after Miroku had arrived at Mushin's temple, despite the shock the monk had suffered upon seeing his right hand once more without the abyssal hellhole that was the Wind Tunnel. After all, this was not the first time the Wind Tunnel had disappeared or had been erased, so Miroku had not been elated. Instead, he was now even more confused and uncertain than ever. For no matter how hard he looked at it, he simply couldn't feel like he could just be free of the curse that would end his life. Not after the many times that Naraku had faked his death, and certainly not simply as it had happened. And so, after he had finished sharing a meal with his mentor, the younger monk had asked Mushin to more thoroughly examine his right hand, to make certain that he was really and truly free of the curse that had taken both his father and grandfather to an early grave. With the both of them passing the time by exchanging what stories they had, and Miroku basically getting Mushin caught up on some of what had happened in recent times. Telling him everything save for that which he knew couldn't be trusted to his alcoholic tongue...and that which he was too deeply ashamed to admit to anyone else. Too unwilling to risk poisoning what few relationships he had left.

"And she went for this other youth? This Shikigami User?" Mushin continued, even as he continued to probe the younger monk's arm. "Aw, that's too bad, Miroku. That girl...I liked her a lot. I really had a good feeling about that one!" Then he gave a smile snort before adding, "And goodness knows, she held onto you a lot longer than...well, some of the other girls I've seen you with."

"Indeed," Miroku replied, ghosts of the warm sensation of Sango's shapely buttocks dancing about his hand, causing him a brief thrill of pleasure...and a deeper sorrow as well.

When Miroku failed to say anything further, Mushin gave his charge a solemn look before managing a friendly snort. "Well...don't beat yourself up _too _hard about it," he advised Miroku even as he continued to study his forearm and hand. "Goodness knows that there are plenty more fish in the ocean." then he gave a kindly quirk of the corner of his lip. "And now that you don't have to worry about the Wind Tunnel anymore, I'd say that you have plenty of time to find the perfect girl to settle down and have a family with."

_I'd already found that perfect girl, Mushin. And I've already lost her...forever..._ was what Miroku thought. Unable to fathom finding a girl to match Sango and fill the aching hole in his heart. Not with the burden of sin that even now weighed down upon his soul.

But the monk didn't say this. Instead, what Miroku asked was, "What about my arm and hand? Have you been able to learn anything? Like what kind of poison Naraku used to disable the Wind Tunnel? Or if there's any chance that it might return?"

"Well, there's nothing to indicate the Wind Tunnel might return. Though to be honest, there was nothing to indicate that the _last _time you were rid of it," Mushin admitted with a slight frown. "As for any poisons that might remain in your arm...well, I've found _something. _Though...I'm not certain what that something means."

Furrowing his brows at this, Miroku frowned and wondered, "What is it?"

"A couple things that I didn't notice at first. Not until you'd removed the beads that kept the Wind Tunnel sealed in the past," Mushin admitted as he continued to finger the monk's right forearm and hand. "One of those sensations...it was very similar of that same rosary. Not _exactly_ the same, but...close enough. Enough that I think that...it might have been what remained of the poison that had disabled your Wind Tunnel."

A bit surprised by this, Miroku inquired, "You're sure about that?"

Nodding to this, Mushin answered, "I may be old, and the sensations _are _quite faint, but...yes. Yes, I know the feel of this kind of power anywhere." A beat passed before he gave Miroku a pointed look and added, "Goodness knows, after having had to make sets of these beads for both you _and _your father, I know enough about their power to be able to recognize them anywhere!"

Pausing to consider this, Miroku then replied, "Then that must be what was in the bite that disabled my Wind Tunnel."

"That much is clear, but there is something else," Mushin frowned even as he continued to draw his fingers about Miroku's forearm. "That fact that this sensation has lingered on, despite the fact that the Wind Tunnel itself is now gone...that's troubling."

"You mean...like the Wind Tunnel may return?" Miroku wondered with a measure of cynicism, one born of the times the Wind Tunnel had been erased by Naraku as a part of some scheme.

"No. Like I said, there's nothing to indicate that happening," Mushin clarified with a shake of his head. "However, the fact remains that, whatever is causing this sensation survived both the extraction of all that demonic power from your Wind Tunnel, and the closing of the Wind Tunnel itself." When Miroku frowned, still uncertain where the elder monk was going with this, Mushin sighed wearily. "Think about it. If all Naraku had wanted was to make certain that you wouldn't be able to use the Wind Tunnel on that cloud of demon blood you told me about, he wouldn't have needed for the poison to last as long as it has. Which says to me that he had another reason for inflicting it upon you."

"And what reason could that be?" Miroku demanded, really not liking the sound of this in the slightest. "If Naraku had simply wanted to eliminate my Wind Tunnel, he could have done that at any time! So what was he after?!"

Mushin frowned for a time before speaking once more. "You were able to pick and choose whatever you used your Wind Tunnel against, simply by releasing the beads that contained its powers," he began in a deceptively soft manner. "I think that when Naraku had you cursed with that bite, I think he was trying to gain that same ability."

As these words sounded, they cracked the dam of Miroku's confusion and released a torrent of comprehension. "Then...you think that Naraku wanted to have a say in what I _could_ and _couldn't _use my Wind Tunnel against?!" the monk demanded, sudden shock and fear gnawing at him. "That he wasn't looking to _disable_ it; what he really wanted was to be able to _control_ it?!"

"I believe so. It certainly makes sense to me." Then Mushin gave a heavy frown before adding, "Though to be honest, I'm not sure why. This certainly isn't the kind of tactic he's known for. And we both know there's a serious limit to how much demonic power and poison you could have absorbed with your Wind Tunnel. So why he would try something like this..."

As Mushin gave a heavy shrug, Miroku frowned in thought as he considered his mentor's words. And as he did, he found that the elder monk was correct; his theory _did _make sense. In the past, whenever Naraku was in a situation where he wanted to be able to prevent Miroku from sucking in something with his Wind Tunnel, he would just deploy the Saimyosho to protect it, or used some kind of poison to make it too hazardous for Miroku to use his Wind Tunnel long enough to really deal with the situation at hand. So the very fact that at least a portion of this toxin still remained in his system, despite everything that had happened, indicated that Naraku had wanted greater control over the Wind Tunnel over the long term, in the event that his prior scheme had been unsuccessful in killing them.

But what was truly dismaying was that Mushin was right; this particular tactic was unprecedented for those very same reasons. In the past, Naraku had had no need or desire for such control, since his usual tactics were simply so effective in restraining Miroku's Wind Tunnel. Which meant that something must have happened to prompt the dread demon to change his tactics in favor of a more permanent solution to the problem of the Wind Tunnel.

And it didn't take long for Miroku to realize what that something might have been.

_The only way that would make any sense is if Naraku wanted to protect something that I was a threat to. Something that Naraku wanted intact, and wanted to be certain that I could never use my Wind Tunnel against,_ Miroku somberly thought, his insides burning like they were being gnawed at by a horde of starving rats. _And the most likely main reason he would do so is because it was something that I had threatened with my Wind Tunnel in the past. Something that I was likely to remain in close proximity to, and continue to threaten._

All of which meant just one thing; that Naraku _knew _about the fight Miroku had had with Michiru. He had _seen _the monk unleash the Wind Tunnel against the Shikigami User, whether through Kagura or the Saimyosho, and thus wanted to be absolutely certain that Miroku could never threaten Michiru or Kaname again. Could not act against them before Naraku could take their powers for himself.

_Which means, that...I was right about my next course of action,_ Miroku thought as he weighed this potential development with all of the other matters that he had been pondering as of late. _I thought I should, but...now I have no choice but to -_

"Miroku?" came Mushin's voice, startling Miroku from his thoughts. Jumping slightly, he looked about to see the elder monk looking at him with a deceptively penetrating gaze. "Is something wrong, boy? You look...perturbed about something.

"Hmm?" Miroku began, only to suck in a deep breath and lower his gaze. "Forgive me, Master Mushin. It's just that...I've been doing a great deal of thinking upon events of late, and...what you've told me has given me greater food for thought." As the elder monk continued to look at his former ward, Miroku heaved a deep sigh. "And the truth of the matter is that...there is much that I have been wondering about. Things that I have never really considered in the past."

"Oh?" Mushin began, raising an eyebrow at this. "Well, if you don't mind me asking...what have you been thinking about?"

"Sango, for one. And how I...I lost her," Miroku began, feeling his heart clench once more at this admission. Knowing full well that these words didn't even come close to touching the reality of his situation. "For quite some time, I had become increasingly certain that...it was only a matter of time before she and I married, and started a family together. For...as you've already noted...we had been together for quite some time..."

"That's very true," Mushin admitted with a nod. "So what of it?"

"So in the end...when she admitted her feelings for Michiru...she also declared her intolerance for my many, _many _flaws," Miroku admitted, feeling his hands clench in sorrow and frustration. "And the more I think about it, the more I feel like she...she tolerated my sins because...for her, there had been no one else. No one else to love her, to show the kind of affection she desired, and that she could love in return." Scowling at these facts, at his own thoughts from before. His reflections upon his sinful nature, and everything it had cost him. "And now...there are questions I would like to ask you. About things I hadn't questioned in a long time now."

Mushin frowned at this, like he knew where Miroku was going, and didn't like it in the least. "Such as...?

"Such as...my mother," Miroku admitted, looking hard at Mushin as he spoke. "I have no memories of her. I don't know her face, or her name, or how she and my father came to meet, or anything else." Giving this a moment to sink in, the monk frowned at his mentor. "For as long as I can remember, it had been only the three of us, living here at the temple, until my father's Wind Tunnel took him. And since that time...I have had other things to think about. Greater concerns of my own." His eyes narrowing sharply, Miroku then turned more squarely towards Mushin. "But...now I have to wonder...how _did _my parents meet? How did my father persuade her to bear me? Did they ever marry? And why can't...why can't I _remember _anything about her?!"

"Miroku -" Mushin started.

"I remember my father well enough! I remember that he had every bit the sinfulness that I have! So how was it possible for him to persuade a woman to give birth to me?!" Miroku demanded, his private torments giving forth to a veritable deluge of demanding questions. "And what of _his _father?! My grandfather?! He was the same way, wasn't he?! You told me how Naraku had lured him in by taking the form of a beautiful woman! That he had the same weaknesses that I do! So how was he able to -?!"

"Miroku, _please!"_ Mushin harshly broke in, causing the younger monk to fall silent in surprise. A blanket of silence fell between them, with the elder monk heaving a deep sigh that still reeked of lingering alcohol. "I can understand well how frustrated you must feel, after everything that's happened between yourself and Sango. Whether you believe it or not, I was a young man myself, once. So I know what it's like to suffer a blow to the heart like you have."

"Then please tell me what you know!" Miroku pleaded of his mentor. "You knew both my father and my grandfather! You've known them _and _me all our lives! So _please, _tell me the truth! You _have _to have known who my mother was! How did she meet my father?! Did she love him, or -!"

"Stop it, Miroku!" Mushin pleaded of the younger monk, even as he held up his hand to him. As Miroku again paused in his inquiries, the elder monk frowned sadly, giving a slow shake of his head. "I - I truly do understand why you want to know these things, but...believe me, it was for a good reason that you were never told of your mother, or what happened to her."

"What happened to her?" Miroku repeated, only for his eyes to widen in realization. "Do you mean...is she _dead?!_ Did my father -?!"

"No! _No! _Good heavens, _no!"_ Mushin proclaimed, giving the monk a stern shake of his head. "Your father loved your mother dearly, Miroku! He would never have done anything to harm her! Believe me when I say that he would have gladly taken his own life before letting any harm befall her!" Several seconds of total silence passed as the elder monk heaved a deep breath, as if considering his next words. "Now...I honestly don't know what happened to her after you were born. She could be alive, she could be dead. I simply don't know what happened to her afterward." Another patch of heavy silence fell before Mushin went on to say, "All I know is that a great tragedy came of your father's love for your mother."

Feeling his insides twisting about in knots at this, Miroku gingerly asked, "What...what happened? What...tragedy do you speak of?"

"I'm sorry, but...it's better for everyone that...you never hear of this," Mushin declared. As soon as Miroku opened his mouth to protest this, the elder monk again held up his hand. "I know it may seem strange to you, my boy, but...some stories are best forgotten. And to learn of this would do no good; it would only bring you greater pain."

Scowling his displeasure, Miroku very seriously considered pushing the issue. It was becoming increasingly obvious that his ignorance of his mother's identity and the ultimate fate of her relationship with his father had been intentional. That there was a dark secret behind it all, and the more he thought about it, the more he couldn't help but think that maybe his father had done something _terrible. _That there was some dreadful sin at the heart of all this secrecy.

But even as he considered this matter, Miroku frowned, for it was obvious that Mushin had no intention of speaking of this story. Just one look at the elder monk's face was all that was needed to be certain that, whatever had happened between Miroku's parents, it still haunted him. And that he did indeed feel like it was some kind of terrible burden that he did not want for Miroku to share.

At the same time, however, Miroku was not satisfied with this situation. He honestly wanted to know his forebears - men with the same weaknesses that flowed within his veins - had managed to find women to love and start a family with.

He wanted to know how they had succeeded where he had failed so miserably.

"What about grandfather?" Miroku then asked, continuing to look Mushin squarely in the eye. "How did he meet my grandmother? And how did they come to be wed?"

A tremendous frown spreading across his face, Mushin issued yet another smelly sigh. "I'm afraid that your grandfather was never wed. Or had any real relationship with a woman," the elder monk hesitantly admitted. "At least, not what you would consider a genuine relationship."

His insides twisting about even more, Miroku hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then how...how did he...?"

Visibly wondering if he should respond, Mushin then made a noise of resignation before speaking. "Your grandfather met your grandmother soon after he had been cursed by Naraku," he began in a voice that made it clear that he did not wish to be saying this. "Your grandfather...he was in tremendous pain from having that hole carved into his hand, and he was wearied from having to use his spiritual powers to hurriedly craft the beads he had first used to restrain his new Wind Tunnel. By the time he was done tending to his wounds and...other matters...he was a tired, pitiful wreck."

Nodding to this, fully understanding how that could happen, Miroku then urged, "Then what?"

"As part of this, your grandfather had found a nearby shrine with a formidable reputation," Mushin continued in that same solemn voice. "There he had met a beautiful young priestess who had been willing to help him both tend to his wounds, as well as these...other matters. And as he recovered, your grandfather spent much time imbibing in sake, trying to drown out both the pain of his cursed hand, and his own sorrows in both failing to stop Naraku, and knowing how he and those of his lineage were destined to meet their end." Miroku gave a quick nod to this. "Anyway, the young priestess pitied your grandfather, and in the midst of them both having some strong sake, they lost themselves in each other."

Several seconds passed as Miroku processed this statement, right before the meaning of it fell down upon him. "Wait...are you saying...that was it?" he wondered, his insides shifting with dread. "That was how father was...that it was just...?"

"A one-time fling?" Mushin concluded for Miroku, right before he gave a sad nod. "Yes, I'm afraid so. And once your grandfather had recovered, he continued on his journey, and the priestess went about her life."

Blinking a few times at this, Miroku swallowed before continuing. "Then...what happened? How did...how did Grandfather...?"

"Learn of her pregnancy? Easy," Mushin informed him. "Five months after their time together, your grandfather stopped by the village where she lived for...something he had been working on. When he arrived at the temple where she lived, she told him of her condition. And so he remained close to her for the remainder of her pregnancy. When your father was born, and...it was confirmed that your father had inherited the curse Naraku had spat upon your grandfather, the priestess was horrified to learn of the fate that would eventually befall the child, and thus refused to have anything further to do with it. So your grandfather was forced to care for your father to the best of his ability, and brought him here so that I could...assist in his upbringing." A dark shadow fell upon Mushin's face before he added, "And we could prepare him for the terrible burdens that he would have to live with."

Several seconds passed in the wake of Mushin's words, and when Miroku realized that his mentor would say nothing further, he pressed with, "So...that's it? She bore his child, and...that was all?"

"I'm...afraid so," Mushin hesitantly admitted. "Your grandfather and the priestess saw each other one or two more times before his Wind Tunnel eventually consumed him, but...nothing further came of that night they had spent with each other."

In the silence that fell in the wake of these words, Miroku heaved a deep, disgusted sigh. _So...that's it. My father was born of a one-night stand, not a loving relationship,_ he thought, scowling intently as he held up the hand that had once borne the Wind Tunnel curse. _And as for my father and my own mother..._

His thoughts trailing off, Miroku frowned with even deeper disgust. It was clear that whatever relationship that had led to Miroku being born into this world had ended badly. _And considering some of the things I have done in order to bed with a beautiful woman..._ he thought, his self-loathing mounting as he thought of the many deals and acts of blackmail he had committed, both before and even after joining with InuYasha and the others. Deals in order to get a beautiful to bear his child in exchange for some service he would perform, stealing money so he could fritter it away on the ladies and even women of ill repute. _My mother was likely some whore that Father had paid for the _privilege_ of impregnating...Buddha knows that I've tried similar tactics in my time..._

And the more Miroku considered these things, the more disgusted he became with himself.

During his upbringing, Miroku had gladly indulged the whims of blackmail, theft, and even the burgeoning seeds of lechery, and all under the watchful eyes of both Mushin and his own father. And he had also picked up on the many rationalizations they had made for behaviors that so many others, even Miroku's fellow warriors and friends, condemned as sinful and wrong. Taking offerings from shrines and statues? He defended such actions by saying that giving something to Buddha was the same as giving it to him. Blackmailing and stealing from lords? Since the ones he targeted tended to be corrupt or engaging in dirty dealings, not only were they unlikely to report him lest they revealed their own crimes, using the profits he obtained could only help his own noble efforts. Spying on women as they bathed? It would simply criminal not to acknowledge such beauty, and it wasn't like he would live forever. Fake fortunetelling and other such activities? Anything that benefitted him benefitted the cause of Buddha and his own efforts to strike down evil. And if he was able to comfort the lonely hearts of women everywhere, that made it even better.

These were the things that Miroku had learned under his father. And in his time, wandering with perhaps Hachi as his only companion, he honestly had seen nothing wrong with it. True, his actions had occasionally met with hostile responses, and there were certainly plenty of people who saw such deeds in a less than positive light. But Miroku had also learned the fine art of fleeing the wrath of his targets, of how to give people what they expected from an honorable monk in terms of words and surface behaviors. And the exquisite pleasures his actions won him more than made up for the rare discomforts he experienced. It hadn't been until he had started traveling with InuYasha, Kagome, and Shippo that anybody had ever objected to such behaviors on anything approaching a regular basis.

Even then, Miroku had been able to get away with virtually everything he did. True, feeling up Kagome and especially Sango had quickly earned him physical retaliation, but the sheer pleasure he won made the pain more than worth it. Same with peeping at them as they bathed. And aside from the occasional sneers from InuYasha and annoyed looks from Sango, the others did nothing to impede him when he made a show of exorcising wealthy homes in order to obtain food and lodgings for the night. And though he occasionally bristled at their gibes, he basically figured that they accepted this. After all, his actions benefitted them and won them food, lodgings, and money, things that were hard to come by and Kagome certainly appreciated. None of them, save for InuYasha, enjoyed sleeping out in the woods and just scraping by. And at the end of the day, while it was clear that Sango and Kagome didn't appreciate his groping and peeping, there were no lasting consequences of his actions, so he decided that they accepted them.

_But they didn't. They _tolerated _what I did,_ Miroku thought lowly. _They tolerated what I did because they needed every ally they could get against Naraku, and my Wind Tunnel, my abilities...they made me valuable. Too valuable to reject in the face of the odds they had been up against._

And that had been a situation that had begun to change with Michiru's arrival. Once again, there had been someone who openly questioned and scorned Miroku's tactics and schemes, and whose power and abilities quickly grew to eclipse the monk's own. And with the addition of Kaname to their ranks, the status quo had shifted even more. And as Michiru and Sango had grown closer...

_She said it herself. She was sick. Sick of my lies, my schemes, my desire for beauteous women..._ Miroku frowned, his heart sinking more and more. _She had tolerated me, and...that finally came to an end. I...I was never going to have her. Not unless I was the only one she _could _have..._ And as the monk's gaze fell to the floor, he thought back to when he had last seen Sango and Michiru together. _And what they have together...is something that I will _never_ have for myself..._

As this dismal thought sounded in Miroku's mind, he heaved a deep, weary breath, right before he forced himself up to his feet. "Excuse me, Mushin?" he began, turning to again look towards his mentor. "If you don't mind, I'd like to spend some...meditating upon that which you have told me."

Blinking a few times at this, Mushin seemed to consider this before ultimately shrugging. "Fine by me. It's getting late, anyways," the elder monk declared as he forced himself up to his feet with a measure of difficulty. "Might as well turn in."

"Might as well," Miroku nodded in return even as he proceeded into the temple proper, with only the minimal illumination of a few lit lanterns to light his way. Before long, he found the small room where he was staying, as well as the few belongings he had brought him. Which included paper, a well of ink, and a pen.

_I know what I have to do,_ Miroku thought to himself as he drew forth a piece of paper and prepared to make what few preparations needed to be made. _It's time that I did it...and put everything to rest..._

* * *

'Kikyo's here?!' Kagome wrote out, using the pencil and spiral notebook that had been her one and only means of communicating with those around her since she had worn out her voice.

"Yeah, she's here," InuYasha replied with a nod, showing no sign of the usual unease and concern Kagome would have expected to be seeing from him.

Morning had finally come to Tsuzumi Village after the abysmally long, anxious, and depressing day that had been yesterday, and at the moment, Kagome was seated at the dining table, having fallen into an easy sleep filled with disturbing images that weren't quite dreams. Things drawn from all of the pain and confusion and guilt that had billowed up within her in so brief a period of time. And they were things that she had been trying very hard to push out of her mind before making her way down for breakfast, hoping for a more peaceful day this day. Only for her hopes to be eradicated by the revelation that her previous incarnation was now in close proximity.

"Kaname found her out near the jet," InuYasha continued, glancing over at Kaname, whose own expression was inscrutable. "Turns out that she saw it in the air the night Naraku attacked." Then he made a face and added, "Not like _that's _a big surprise..."

Painfully aware of the truth, Kagome then frowned warily before writing again. 'Where is she now?'

"She said that she was going to stay out near the jet. Keep an eye out for trouble." Then InuYasha's scowl deepened before he added, "And according to her, we've got plenty of _that _heading our way!"

Already, Kagome could feel her heart sinking right into her stomach. Only for it to then take the plunge and leap squarely into her feet before trying to dig into the floor itself when InuYasha went on to describe the kind of trouble that was presently heading towards Tsuzumi Village. 'Sesshomaru?!' she hastily scribbled out, her sudden fear causing her handwriting to suffer. 'Sesshomaru's coming here?!'

"Yeah, unfortunately," InuYasha growled in a voice that was heavy with bitterness and anger.

"Is Sesshomaru really that bad?" Kaname wondered in a somewhat wan voice. As InuYasha and Kagome alike turned an incredulous gaze at the Kururugi girl, she shrugged slightly before adding, "It's just that...my bro told me about Sesshomaru, and what happened when he and Utsugi got switched and before Rin got kidnapped. And he said that...while Sesshomaru seemed pretty cold, he didn't attack him or anything like that."

InuYasha just scowled at this, and in all honesty, Kagome couldn't blame him. Very early in her own travels in the Feudal Era, Sesshomaru had displayed nothing but contempt for humans or anyone that had human blood in general, and InuYasha in particular. With the time he had used the Mu-on'na, the Nothing Woman, to trick InuYasha into betraying the location of the Tetsusaiga, being the defining moment in displaying the sheer loathing the half-demon had for his full-blooded brother.

But by the same token, Sesshomaru had seemed to soften over the course of their various encounters. It could not be said that the two brothers were at all close or could even stand to be in close proximity to each other for any length of time, but the full-blooded demon would not attack them unless to do so would gain him something, and InuYasha would force himself to work with his half-brother when the situation called for it, such as the time when the two brothers had teamed up to banish the Sounga to the depths of hell.

When InuYasha seemed disinclined to say anything on the subject, Kagome sighed inwardly before writing her response. "'Sesshomaru _can _be dangerous, but...he won't attack us'," Kaname read from the notepad. "'Not unless he thinks he has something to gain from it'."

InuYasha gave a dismissive snort to this. "Yeah, well, he's _definitely _got something to gain this time!" the half-demon scowled furiously. "I don't know what Michiru told you about him, but you can count on two things; that Sesshomaru's coming for the jet, and he won't let a little thing like the possibility of humans dying stop him from trying to get his claws on it!"

Kaname's face fell at this, and in all honesty, Kagome couldn't blame her, for she had to admit that there was a deadly dangerous chance that InuYasha was right about this. 'What about this samurai?' the reborn priestess wrote, hoping to change the subject. 'You said he might not be trouble?'

Pausing just long enough to read the words, InuYasha shrugged. "Kikyo didn't know him, so...he might not be evil," he hesitantly admitted. "But if he's coming here, then he's bound to be after the jet, too! And until we find out more about this guy, I don't think we should assume anything."

"Right," Kaname nodded slowly. "Still...maybe I should send a few scouts out. See if we can find out anything about this samurai. And maybe see how close Sesshomaru is to the village."

"Yeah, good thinking," InuYasha quickly agreed. Then he gave a wry snort before adding, "And while you're at it, maybe you can have them try and find that useless fleabag, Koga!" Pausing to give another snort, he added, "Figures that we'd be stuck waiting on him. Too bad the only time he's actually fast is when he's running away..."

Kaname just nodded, not looking the slightest bit reassured or comfortable. And while Kagome could hardly blame her for being concerned about the prospect of having to deal with Sesshomaru and all of the other problems that were now confronting them, she couldn't help but think and fear that their current dilemma was not the only factor in her darkened expression.

For as Kagome looked at Kaname's face, she saw an expression very familiar to her. The same kind of dismal depression that Kagome herself had seen in a mirror after once again witnessing InuYasha together the woman he would have once given up his demonic power for.

_She's upset that Kikyo's here. That the woman she has to know that InuYasha once loved is somewhere close by,_ Kagome thought, the tiniest of scowls betraying her inner torment. She knew that the half-demon would never be able to leave the undead priestess behind, not given how deeply the two had loved each other. Not when she could still see the feelings they still had for each other in their eyes. Even now, she could still see the way InuYasha was acting just a bit differently; the discomfort he tried and failed to keep bottled up, the way he would glance out towards the waiting fields and the resurrected warrior woman that now waited out there. And with her presence, the barriers that had been built up between the two of them by recent events became that much more impassable.

That would have been painful and difficult for Kagome, even under the best of circumstances. But the fact that she could see Kaname reacting in the way she was...

_You can't be sure about that!_ Kagome fiercely reminded herself, doing her best to chase away her dread concern. _I mean...guys and girls can just be friends, right?! And Michiru and InuYasha already get along, so...it's only natural that he would get along with Kaname, right?! And after how long it took InuYasha and me to get...close...there's no way...it's just not possible that they could...!_

It made sense to her head. The half-demon was just too damaged to get close to with any real ease. And Kaname simply hadn't been with them long enough to develop those kind of feelings for him. In fact, she hadn't even been with them as long as...

_As long as Michiru had been with us the first time..._ Kagome grimly thought in conclusion, recalling full well how that had gone.

Once again considering the Kururugi girl, Kagome frowned in thought. Kaname definitely looked distraught, and certainly not the kind of distraught she looked in the face of impending danger, so that part was no illusion conjured by Kagome's fear of potentially losing InuYasha to another. But even assuming she was taking a path similar to that taken by Michiru, it was likely that Kaname was not ready to make the same kind of move that her sibling had. And even if she was, it was unlikely that the half-demon was aware of such feelings, let alone...

Shuddering as her mind went places that had once been protected by fantasies that had so recently been shattered, Kagome hurriedly tried to redirect the conversation. 'What about Kikyo?' she wrote, all the while making additional mental notes to do everything she could to affect damage control to her relationship with the half-demon as quickly as possible. 'Did she say anything about Koga? Or spotting any wolf-demons?'

"No, she didn't," InuYasha replied after reading Kagome's note. Then a thoughtful frown creased his face. "But...wait. She mentioned sensing _others, _but...she never said anything about them being wolf-demons or anything like that. She just thought they might have been bandits or jerks like that."

'Still, it might be a good idea to double-check with her,' Kagome wrote. 'Also, we need to take some precautions. If we wind up having to fight Sesshomaru, the people here could be in danger. And while I know we can't get the jet away from here -'

"Maybe we could move it far enough from the village that the people here won't be in danger?" InuYasha wondered before Kagome could finish. "I dunno...maybe." Then he gave a loud snort. "At least we know Sesshomaru isn't gonna try and use the people here as hostages. His ego would never let him go for anything like that. And we also have the Reikikaega now."

"But we don't know everything the Reikikaega can do!" Kaname hurriedly pointed out. "It's too unpredictable!"

"Maybe, but Sesshomaru doesn't know anything about it _at all!"_ InuYasha promptly pointed out. "So if it comes down to it, we might be able to use it to surprise him." Then he glanced down at the Tetsusaiga and added, "And don't forget, Tetsusaiga got two new powers from the Reikikaiga! So we can use them as well!"

'You don't know what those two new powers will do!' Kagome promptly wrote.

"Then I guess I'll have to spend some time training and figure them out before trouble gets here," InuYasha gruffly retorted. Then he glanced over at the Kururugi girl and added, "Also...I might need your help on that one, Kaname."

Wincing somewhat at this, Kagome found herself sorely wishing she could verbally protest when Kaname replied, "Okay, but...first I have to take care of some other stuff."

"Sure, you do that," InuYasha nodded even as he rose to his feet. "In the meantime, I'm gonna go find Densuke and let him know about what Kikyo told us. If we're about to have some unwelcome guests, then we should have the people ready and waiting for trouble, just in case."

"I really hope it doesn't come to that," Kaname admitted in a somber voice.

His expression softening ever so slightly, InuYasha gave a mild snort. "Not much chance of us avoiding trouble, but...yeah. I know what you mean."

Kagome didn't like the way the half-demon had just spoken, and as he started away, she found herself frowning. It just seemed like very much something InuYasha _wouldn't _say. He liked trouble and fighting too much to really give much thought to ever trying to steer clear of it, with the potential exception to this rule being the nights of the new moon when his powers were gone. And even then, he wasn't the kind to back down from a fight when a fight came looking for him. The fact that he would say something like that, something reassuring...

"Kagome?" came Kaname's voice. Startled out of her thoughts, the reborn priestess looked at the Shikigami User and saw Kaname with hardened eyes. "Listen, I...before my bro and the others left, he asked me to...to see if I can heal your throat."

Blinking a few times at this, Kagome looked at the Kururugi girl in surprise. For although she had kept an eye on the goings-on during the departure of the others the previous day, she hadn't heard Michiru say anything of that nature. And so she quickly wrote out, 'He did?'

"That's right," Kaname confirmed, still looking at Kagome with hard eyes. "But I have to be honest...I really didn't want to do that." Now the modern miko was even more surprised, at least until the Shikigami User went on to say, "Ever since you got back here, you've been awful to _everyone!_ You've treated my bro like he was a criminal and you even wore out your voice sitting InuYasha!"

_What?!_ Kagome started, her surprise mounting. _But why would she be bothered by that?! I just -!_

"Now I know that you and InuYasha and the others have been together for a long time now, but...I have to be honest. I don't understand why they let you treat him so badly!" Kaname declared, causing Kagome's eyes to go wide with shock. "I've seen you use those things on him when you're arguing, or when you have a disagreement, and...I really wish my bro had been able to get them off of him!"

Now Kagome had a major dose of shock dumped on her as well. So much so that she tried to cry out and demand Kaname explain before remembering that her voice was useless. And so she frantically wrote out, 'He tried to remove the Beads?!'

"Sure did. Back in the Castle Town after you sat him just for sniffing you and asking if they really needed a bath," Kaname explained in a matter-of-fact tone.

Her astonishment mounting with each passing second, Kagome hurriedly scribbled out, 'But - you've seen what a jerk he is! How else am I supposed to keep him from beating up Shippo or -?!'

"Beat up Shippo?!" Kaname broke in before Kagome could finish writing her message. "I haven't seen him do that even once!" Wincing at this reminder that the Kururugi girl simply hadn't been with the group very long and thus wasn't as familiar with the kind of stupidity the half-demon could and would cause and get into when left to his own devices without any means of restraint, the reborn priestess was about to counter this when Kaname went on to say, "Now, look. I know that InuYasha is stubborn and has a temper and all that, but that doesn't justify you smashing him into the ground whenever you want! You don't even seem to try talking things out with him!"

_Don't even - is she kidding me?!_ Kagome demanded inwardly._ How am I supposed to talk stuff out with someone as stubborn and hotheaded as that?!_

Even as Kagome was struggling with her sudden annoyance and astonishment that Michiru had actually tried to remove the Beads that she had always viewed as being symbolic of her connection to InuYasha, Kaname heaved a deep sigh. "But...anyway, my bro, he...he told me that he wanted me to try and help you, and...patch things up with you and all of the rest of it," she finally admitted with visible reluctance. "But still...if I help you get your voice back, then I expect you to _stop _using it to attack others! No more accusing my bro of stuff or yelling at me or sitting InuYasha just because you can! Alright?"

The manner Kaname had spoken in had been relatively calm and soft, but she had still left no room for misinterpretation. And as she looked at the Kururugi, Kagome found herself briefly considering a few things. Such as the fact that Michiru had actually tried to remove the Beads. And as her disbelief mounted, she hurriedly wrote out, 'But why?! Why would he do something like that?! He has to know how stubborn and impossible InuYasha is! So why would your brother try and remove the Beads when he had to know the kind of trouble InuYasha would cause?!'

"Stubborn and impossible?! You're not one to talk, Kagome!" Kaname retorted with a wry smirk. "And - how can you talk about InuYasha like that, anyway?! Like I said, he's kinda stubborn, but you talk about him like he's some little kid you can't take your eyes off of for a second!"

_Wha- that's not it!_ Kagome inwardly protested. Frowning somewhat, she considered how to approach this before flipping to a fresh page in her notebook and writing a new message. 'The whole reason Kaede put the Beads on him in the first place was because he was so hotheaded and impossible! And why didn't Michiru talk to me before he tried something like that?!'

A few seconds passed as Kaname studied this latest message, and in that time, her annoyance seemed to soften into something akin to sadness. "Kagome...my bro told me what you told him about InuYasha back in those days. And from what he said...InuYasha was really difficult back then. But at the same time, with what Naraku did to him and Kikyo..." Pausing at the mention of this name, the Kururugi girl pressed her lips together in silence. Silence that lasted a few seconds before she continued. "Anyway, the InuYasha I've seen and come to know doesn't sound at all like the one you told my bro about when he first woke up from Kikyo's spell!" A beat passed before her expression hardened a bit once more. "As for why he didn't tell you, he said he figured you'd just get mad about it or wouldn't even listen to him if he suggested giving InuYasha a chance to prove he could do stuff without the Beads!"

_What the - _that's _why?! He thought I wouldn't even listen to him?! _Kagome thought in complete disbelief. _He really thought - and why does he even have a problem with that, anyway?! I'm not really hurting anyone! And it's not like any of the others have a problem with me using the Beads - well, except for InuYasha!_ _They never said or did anything to -!_

But even as Kagome thought these things, a mental voice drawn from memory sounded in her mind. _You and I both know how Kagome is!_ came Sango's voice from the day the modern miko's world of hopes for the Demon Slayer and Miroku to have a Happily Ever After suffered a critical blow. _Once she decides that she's right about something, it's almost impossible to convince her otherwise! It's like talking to a stone wall! She just goes on and on, defending her position, no matter how ludicrous it is!_

And in the wake of these words came another, more angered voice. _Dammit...that's always the way with you, isn't it, Kagome?!_ InuYasha snarled once again in her mind. _I make a mistake, you get mad and start sitting me. I do something you don't like, and you attack me! You get mad about something you don't like, and you take it out me! You don't get your way, and you go outta your way to make things difficult for everyone else, just like the spoiled brat you are! And I'll just bet that this is the part where you run on back home and leave us all in the lurch! Am I right?!_

And in the wake of these voices, Kagome sagged somewhat and wondered. _Could...did they not tell me they thought I was doing something wrong because they felt I'd ignore them?! That I would just blow my stack the way InuYasha does?! Maybe even...go home and leave them as easily as that?!_ she thought, suffering a dread chill at this possibility. _Do they -?!_

"Kagome?" Kaname spoke, once again snapping the raven-haired girl from her reverie. As she stirred from the world of memories and inner demons, Kagome looked squarely at the Kururugi girl, who paused before speaking once again. "Are you listening? I asked you to _promise _that you'll stop sitting InuYasha without good reason or attacking my bro or anything else like that if I helped heal your voice!"

Blinking a few times at this, Kagome considered this for a time. She had already suffered several bad shocks in recent times, with the revelations she had been facing and the fantasies that had been shattered. And it was becoming more and more clear that she may have effectively blinded herself to things that may well have otherwise been completely obvious.

And if she was going to repair her relationships with the others, with InuYasha...

Pausing to swallow a lump of bile in her throat, as well as no small amount of pride, Kagome began writing again. 'I promise I won't use the Beads...unless necessary. And I already told InuYasha that I won't yell at your brother or start any fights until I have a chance to talk things over with Sango and settle some things with her.'

As Kaname read this note, her expression made it clear that she was not entirely satisfied with this. But even so, she heaved a heavy sigh and gave a lopsided smile. "Well...okay, then," she finally replied. "I'll go get some tea for you, and start working on your throat."

As Kaname eased herself up to her feet, Kagome lowered her gaze. More eager than ever to reclaim her voice...and set things right as quickly as possible.

* * *

"Thanks for helping with Michiru, Daisuke," Sango said to the proud, powerfully built Demon Slayer leader as he helped support the drained Shikigami User, allowing him as much dignity as was possible as they made their way to an open area on the perimeter of the new Demon Slayer fort.

"You don't have to thank me for anything, Sango. You, Michiru, and all of the rest of your friends have earned our gratitude and respect," Daisuke intoned in a dignified manner. Then his face fell ever so slightly before he added, "I'm only sorry that you've had to deal with those who have made your difficulties worse than they already were."

As Michiru gave a wearied nod to this, Sango sighed in a tired manner. They, along with Shippo, Kanna, and Kirara, had been awakened relatively early that day with both the arrival of a freshly cooked breakfast, and a notification from Daisuke that they would be meeting with the members of the Demon Slayer council that were the heads of both the Spirit and Mystic class, those who were best suited towards treating Michiru's ailment and restoring his strength. And this was something that Sango was not looking forward to.

The warrior woman was tense, drained, and on edge. Not only was Sango still agitated as a result of Haruna and her intention to use Michiru to breed a large number of Shikigami Users with the power of the Kururugi Shrine flowing through their veins, but the events from yesterday had left a strong mark on her. And as much as she had been able to shove them off to the side during the day, keep her fears and concerns and emotions in check enough to be able to function and do what was required of her, those mental and emotional barriers fell when she finally succumbed to the grip of sleep, and those hidden horrors were allowed to roam her unconscious mind unhindered. And the events of yesterday had given Sango fresh fodder for her nightmares, to the point where sleep had proven elusive at best. And what little sleep she had been able to claim had failed to relieve her wearied state in the slightest.

_The beast...the monster I became...!_ Sango couldn't help but think, unable to help allowing herself a tiny shudder as she once again thought of the monstrous ogre she had become. A beast completely free of the inhibitions and restraints the warrior woman normally held over herself, free to indulge in her desires.

And those desires, that lack of restraint, the unbound lust and contempt and worst that Sango had experienced in that form, coupled with the sheer, raw power the Reikikaega had unleashed within her, had given her plenty of fuel for her fears. And in her brief snatches of sleep through the night, those fears were allowed to flow freely through her mind. The consequences of her transformation carried to their logical extreme...as well as the suffering she would have caused if Miroku had not been able to restore Sango to her human form when he had.

_I really do owe Miroku for that,_ Sango couldn't help but think, for although her relationship with the monk had suffered badly, she was glad to know that he had not forsaken all that she knew to be good about him. _The next time I see him, I really should tell him how much I appreciate what he did._ But even as this thought graced her mind, she shoved it off to the side, the same way she had pushed away her fears and concerns and the terrors that had kept sleep at bay most of the night. _But right now...I have to take care of Michiru..._

"Are you _sure _this is going to be okay, Daisuke?" Shippo wondered in a slightly wary voice, the little fox looking up at the warrior with obvious concern. "I mean...you said Haruna was going to be there, and -"

"I know. But as I said last night, I've already ordered Haruna to put her agenda to the side for now, and restrict her interactions with Michiru strictly to treating his condition," Daisuke reminded them even as he focused on the Kururugi boy. "And while I don't doubt that she will continue to pursue her agenda as soon as she is able, she is also the most knowledgeable among us in terms of the powers of the spirits. Her skills and abilities could well be critical in restoring you."

Nodding solemnly to this, Michiru sighed, "As long as she...keeps her distance, then...I understand. I can deal with her..._after _I'm back to normal..." A beat passed before he frowned and muttered, "I just hope that...Kanna will be alright until we get back..."

"I'm sure she'll be fine," Sango quickly assured him, despite having some minor misgivings as well. "She seems comfortable with Kirara, at least in her smaller form. And I really don't want to expose her to a crowd of strangers. She's not ready for that yet."

"From what I've seen of her, I'd have to agree," Daisuke nodded in a solemn manner. "But...I _will _want to question her at some point, Sango. There's just too much valuable information she could give us for me to ignore that."

Of that, Sango had no doubt. Kanna had been with Naraku from the very beginning of her current existence, from the moment he had crafted her from whatever demons he had split off from himself in the process of her genesis. She had to know what kind of plans he had been hatching at the time of his latest attack or at the very least a clue as to what he had in mind, the kind of forces he had access to, what forces of magic he had available to him. And these had been things that Sango herself had considered questioning Kanna about herself.

"I understand. But I hope you'll let me handle the actual questioning," Sango requested of her fellow Demon Slayer leader. "She's gotten a bit better, and I don't want to wind up pushing her back into her shell by pushing her too hard."

"Of course." Then Daisuke looked ahead and frowned somewhat. "There they are. Let's get started."

Following Daisuke's gaze, Sango noted the six council members seated on a grassy area within the fort's perimeter. Frowning as she took note of Haruna, who was seated in the center of the group, she then glanced over the remaining council members assembled. Seiesnsui, Ienobu, Masamichi, Sayo, and Kei were assembled and seated on the ground, looking intently at the unlikely foursome as they approached.

"Greetings, everyone," Haruna began in a formal, controlled manner of speaking. Very much different from the shock and surprise she had displayed when caught with a fainted Michiru yesterday.

Feeling her frustration and disdain for Haruna and her agenda welling up inside of her, Sango felt her insides aching with temptation. Almost as if the ogre she had once been was trying to surface in her once more, and express her outrage over her actions from yesterday. But even so, the warrior woman was able to rein in her anger, and force herself into a state of feigned civility. "Greetings...honored council members."

Seiesnsui issued a mild snort before glancing out of the corner of his eyes at Haruna, and the other council members had other well contained but definite reactions, making it clear that Sango had not been anywhere near successful in containing her current disdain for Haruna. But to her credit, the Shikigami Master simply smiled and nodded even as Sango and Daisuke aided Michiru in sitting down in a comfortable position.

"Before this meeting begins in proper, I'd like to offer my humblest apologies for my behavior yesterday, Michiru," Haruna began in what Sango supposed was a genuine attempt at a penitent manner. "It had not been my intention to cause you discomfort. I had realized that my agenda if controversial and broaching it to you could be difficult, and so I had attempted to coach my attempt in a way that would make it easier for you to deal with." Heaving a deep sigh at this, the Shikigami Master murmured, "I regret that my choice of methods was...lacking."

A few choice snickers sounded from the other members of the council, making it very clear just how they felt about both Haruna's actions and her recent choice of words. But before anyone could say anything to this, Daisuke cleared his throat, immediately prompting everyone to settle down. "I...understand," Michiru hesitantly replied. "Though...um..."

"Daisuke has already informed me that you have...reservations about my intention. Which I _do _understand," Haruna promptly assured him. "However, while I truly believe that my plans are in the best interest of both the Demon Slayers and our new allies, I swear that I will restrict our interactions to your treatment, at least until the time comes when you are fully recovered."

As Sango looked at Haruna, the Shikigami Master's expression making it clear that she had every intention of pursuing her goals as soon as possible, she frowned and thought, _And as soon as Michiru's better...I'll make sure that he's as far away from _you_ as possible!_

"I...alright," Michiru nodded slowly. "But...speaking of my treatment..."

"Yes, of course," Haruna nodded quickly. "As Jiro has already explained, we have considerable experience in treating Shikigami Users whose suffered extreme drainage as you have. And there _is _a means by which you can regain your strength relatively quickly." A slight frown gracing her lips, the slightly older woman went on to explain, "But I warn you now; it will not be pleasant."

"It can't be any worse than InuYasha's liver medicine!" Shippo gibed good-naturedly.

"So what do we have to do?" Sango wondered.

A heavy pause fell upon the council members as they glanced about each other in silence. A silence that was broken when Seiesnsui heaved a deep breath before admitting, "In order for the boy to regain his full power...he must be buried alive."

As these words sounded, Sango let out a tiny gasp, feeling as if icy cold claws were grasping at her heart. Michiru very nearly fell backwards, and Shippo let out a cry of dismay. "Wha-?!"

"Up to your neck," Ienobu hurriedly chimed in. "Your head will be fully exposed, and you'll be able to breathe."

As Sango and Daisuke worked to steady Michiru, whose worn face had fallen in shock. "Wait!" the warrior woman cried out even as Shippo sputtered in dismay. "What do you...how will _burying_ Michiru help him?!"

"Uh, perhaps I should explain," Masamichi declared, pausing to hold up his long, oaken staff. "As we all know, the cause of Michiru's ailment is that his powers were grossly overused by that cursed mask you spoke. And as it is the forces of nature that are the core of his powers, he must allow himself to fully rest, and allow nature to restore his strength."

"Exactly," Haruna nodded in a thoughtful manner. "And thus he must be buried, near the roots of the great oak tree in this courtyard. There he will be allowed to bathe in the ten powers that are at the heart of his magic; earth, fire, wind, water, metal, lightning, ice, wood, light, and darkness."

A beat passed as Michiru considered this. "Oh," he finally got out, visibly recovering from his surprise. "Well...I guess that makes sense." Then he frowned slightly before wondering, "Uh...how long would I...have to be...buried?"

"For some time, I'm afraid," Haruna confessed with a rueful expression. "Three, maybe four days."

As Michiru's eyes rounded once more, Sango gasped and cried out, "Three or four _days?!"_

"I'm...afraid so," Seiesnsui admitted with a measure of reluctance. "You have to understand, setting in motion the influx of mana from the forces of nature will take some effort, and once _in _motion, it would be dangerous for us to interrupt it. It must reach it's natural conclusion, without any tampering on our parts. And so, Michiru _must_ remain within the earth long enough for the forces of nature to fully restore him."

"Do not worry; you will be asleep through it all," Kei informed him. "However, we must warn you that your sleep may not peaceful; those who've treated in this manner have reported strange experiences in their dreams."

"Strange?" Sango repeated, really not liking the sound of this at all. "What do you mean? He won't be in any danger, will he?!"

"No, no, of course not!" Haruna promptly assured them. "However, with their bodies weakened and fully exposed to the unseen forces that surround us all, it is common for a warrior's spirit to roam, to sense things that cannot be sensed with our eyes and ears."

"Visions of the past and future. People and things from places _and _times that are far away," Ienobu chimed in with a frown. "People you have yet to meet...and old friends, long gone."

"You won't be in any danger," Kei reiterated in a firm, yet kindly manner. "However, those who've experienced such visions have reported that they can be...quite disturbing, to say the least."

As Sango looked at Michiru, who looked back in return, Sayo cleared her throat and stated, "If you are fearful, then...you don't have to proceed with the treatment." As all eyes fell upon her instead, the matronly woman went on to add, "You _will _eventually recover on your own."

"But that _will _take much longer," Haruna quickly pointed out. "From our experience and from what I feel of your aura, it will take at least a week of simply resting before you are strong enough to travel. Even longer to recover the strength needed in order to fight."

Having some second thoughts, Sango looked towards Daisuke, who issued a weary sigh. "I'm afraid that Haruna is correct," he hesitantly admitted. "We've seen instances of this many times in the past, Shikigami Users who have overused their powers and paid the price for it. And every time, it took them long weeks of resting in order to regain their strength unassisted." A few seconds passed in silence before he continued, "It _is _your choice, but -"

"But I don't have time to get better on my own. I understand," Michiru nodded somberly. Pressing his lips together, the Shikigami User seemed to visibly consider the matter for a sigh before issuing a tired sigh. "Oh, well...I've had a few nightmares in the past, so..."

"But - hold on!" Shippo cried out in dismay. "What about food? Or water? Won't Michiru be in trouble if he can't -?!"

"You need not worry about that," Haruna quickly assured them all. "Nature itself will feed Michiru's body as he rests."

"That's correct," Masamichi seconded with a nod as he focused on Michiru. "And we'll be sure to provide you with water as you sleep."

"How?! By pouring it on him with a bucket?!" Shippo wondered incredulously.

Ienobu chuckled at this, and Kei gave a muted smile as well. "Don't worry; we will take care of that as well," Haruna assured them. But then her expression hardened again, "However, as Seiesnsui already made it clear, once you're asleep, you must not be disturbed under any circumstances. To do so would be _dangerous. _Both for you and anybody nearby."

Frowning at this, Sango considered this matter before asking, "Then...will you need someone to guard him? I know that you wouldn't put him in danger, but...well, if something were to happen -"

"You need not worry, Sango. We've already seen to it that Michiru will be protected at all times," Haruna smiled. Then the Shikigami Master looked off to the side. "Servitors, approach."

"Yes, mistress," came four voices from off to the side, causing Sango to frown. And she wasn't the only one.

"What the -?!" Shippo got out, only for the little fox to free in shock when four sets of footprints were heard approaching. But footsteps that sounded completely wrong to be made by any human, or wolf-demon, for that matter. And it was this inhuman quality that caused them to frown in concern. And in Michiru's case, astonishment.

"Wait...can that...?" Michiru wondered, furrowing his brows as he looked towards a nearby building where the footsteps seemed to be coming from. Only for his eyes to go wide when the source of the footsteps appeared.

_"Whaaa-?!"_ Shippo cried out in shock even as Sango recoiled in surprise at the sight of what she could only describe as being living statues emerged from the building. Four statue-like dolls that were even now stomping towards Haruna, each of them designed to look almost like a samurai, only with huge shoulders and hips, as well as massive chests and odd heads that reminded Sango of Dogu statues.

_Wait...are they...Shikioni?!_ Sango wondered as she studied the approaching figures, figures that weren't unlike the mechanical dolls Janis had once used during her brief time in the Feudal Era. _But - where -?!_

"You appear surprised," Haruna noted with a clear sense of satisfaction as she watched the three visitors to the Demon Slayer fort watch and react as the four mechanical dolls came to stand nearby.

"I - well, I...I sensed something familiar, but...I couldn't make any sense of it," Michiru hesitantly admitted even as he studied the dolls in confused fascination. "But...what are they? Some kind of...Hitogata?"

Taking note of the blank looks this earned them, Sango quickly explained, "We once encountered a large number of Hitogata that had been enchanted so they could move on their own." When the council members made noises and expression of comprehension, the woman warrior frowned and noted, "But...what exactly _are _these things? Where did you get them from? Did you make them yourselves?"

"Yes. We created them. Here, in this very village," Haruna declared with undisguised pride. Then she focused her gaze on Michiru and added, "And it's all thanks to the knowledge that you shared with us."

Once again, Michiru's face fell in surprise. "Wha...? Really?"

"Indeed. And thanks to your generosity, we will soon have many more of these Servitors to aid in our defense, and much more," Haruna smiled in a knowing manner. Very much like the proverbial cat that Kagome had mentioned who had eaten a canary.

Sango was momentarily torn. On the one hand, she liked the idea of the Demon Slayers here having better weapons and equipment with which to defend themselves and make better lives in this new place, especially with the relative uncertainty in their future, living next to the wolf-demons. But at the same time, the way that Haruna was smiling...it was as if she felt that these Servitors were an argument in her favor. As if they were yet another thing that would inspire her fellows to set aside morality and honor so they could use Michiru for their own purposes. And if that was the case...

_We can deal with that later,_ Sango promptly reminded herself. _Whatever her plans, Haruna can't do anything until Michiru's fully recovered. And more to the point, if she really does want to use him in this way, then it's in her best interests to make certain that he stays safe, so she won't target him. At least not until _after _he's recovered._

Of course, she knew that Haruna might try something else as well. Certainly, there was nothing stopping her from trying to win Sango and others over to her way of seeing things. But there would be plenty of time to deal with that while Michiru slept and regained his strength.

_Assuming he still wants to go ahead with this,_ Sango reminded herself. _But -_

"So..." Michiru hesitantly asked, snapping Sango from her thoughts even as he glanced between Haruna and the Servitors and back again, "when...do we start?"

"We've already made most of the preparations necessary," Haruna assured him. "We can begin the treatment this afternoon if you like."

Frowning in thought, and clearly burdened with concerns of his own, Michiru visibly considered this matter for a time before sighing. "Well...then okay," he finally, hesitantly replied. "Um...but...before we start...there are a few things I'd...like to talk about with Sango and the others. Would...that be alright?"

"Of course," Haruna graciously replied, giving a polite bow of her head. "Also, we'll give you some simple garments to wear while you rest." As Sango and Shippo frowned in confusion, the Shikigami Master smiled in a knowing manner. "I'm sure he would rather not have his own clothes buried in the earth."

Heaving a tired laugh, Michiru nodded. "You're right," he admitted. "But if it's all the same...I'd just as soon change my clothes myself."

This earned Michiru a few chuckles from the council members, and Daisuke clapped the Kururugi boy on the shoulder. "Speaking of having a few words with friends...if everything has been settled, I'd like to take a moment to speak with our young friends." Then he turned towards the council members and added in a firm, yet polite manner, "So, if you will excuse us...?"

"Certainly, Daisuke," Haruna replied even as she and the other members of the council rose to their feet. "Truth is, we have duties of our own to attend to. Including preparing Michiru's place beneath the oak tree."

Shuddering despite herself at the thought of the one she loved being buried alive, even if his head would remain exposed, Sango nonetheless moved to help Michiru to his feet even as Daisuke aided her. Before long, the Demon Slayers were assisting Michiru back the way they had come, with the Kururugi boy frowning in concern. "Servitors...Daisuke, when did...?"

"Haruna make them?" Daisuke concluded. When Michiru nodded, he sighed and answered, "Teruyo and a few others worked with Haruna and some of her fellows in creating the first Servitor about a week ago. Though how they were able to make the other three as fast as they did...I have no idea. I can barely keep up with all of the advances they're making." Frowning as Daisuke gave a slow shake of his head, Sango watched as the formidable leader of his people then composed himself and returned her gaze. "Listen, Sango, I...I think we both know that, while Haruna's agenda may be balked for the time being, she's certain to keep pushing it forward in other ways as soon as she has the opportunity."

"I know," Sango replied, trying not to grimace at the thought and suspecting she had only been partly successful in this.

"As I mentioned earlier, I along with Kei, Teruyo, and Ienobu will be leaving for Tsuzumi Village in a short while. So we can study the metal bird," Daisuke continued with a wan expression. "And so...if you like, I could inform your friends there as to what Haruna is doing. For if she has her eyes on Michiru, then there's every chance she might also consider Kaname as being a potential part of her plans."

This was something that Sango had already thought of herself. But even as Michiru scowled in annoyance, muted only by his exhaustion, the warrior woman replied, "You said it yourself; as long as none of us is bound by the laws of this alliance, there's nothing she can do, right? Even if her agenda goes through, she can't force either Michiru or Kaname into anything?"

"That's correct," Daisuke confirmed.

Pausing to think this over, Sango then turned towards the one she loved. "Michiru, Daisuke...if it's all the same, I think it would be best if I were the one to tell the others. I know them, and...well, I just know that InuYasha would be furious about this."

"No kidding..." Michiru wanly agreed, somehow managing a tiny curling of his lip. "And once I'm...well, asleep...you can go to Tsuzumi Village any time, and...well, let them know what's going on."

"Right. Besides, we _do _have time," Sango seconded. "And to be honest, if we break this to the others in the wrong way...well, InuYasha..."

"I know. He _does _have quite the temper," Daisuke admitted, smiling in a way that made it clear that he was aware as to just how large an understatement this was. "Alright, Sango; I'll let you inform your friends, whenever you're ready to do so."

"Thank you," Sango beamed, relieved to have that out of the way.

Nodding, Daisuke heaved another sigh. "As soon as I get you back to your room, I'll be on my way," he informed them. "I certainly hope that you recover soon, Michiru."

_So do I!_ Sango declared inwardly. _The sooner I can get him away from that woman and whatever scheme she might cook up, the better!_

* * *

"Uh...hello, Kei!" came a nervous voice from a distance away.

"Hmm?" Kei sounded in her throat, the petite young woman looking about to see a familiar figure approaching. "Ah, Yagura. Good to see you."

"I, uh...!" the wolf-demon began, his cheeks coloring as he darted up to Kei. "Well, I heard that you were going to be leaving for a while, so...I just thought I'd...wish you luck on whatever it is you're going to be doing, and..."

As Yagura continued to converse with the young priestess, Haruna looked on from a distance, watching from one of the perimeter towers of the fort walls. All the while wishing that she could feel comfortable with the obvious affections that were on display. For anyone with an ounce of sense could tell that the wolf-demon had become enamored with Kei, and while the young priestess was not one to wear her feelings on her sleeve, Haruna could tell that she was developing feelings of her own for Yagura, though she wasn't certain just how deep those feelings ran.

Love and romance. The stuff of stories and fairytales. And Haruna honestly wished she could take pleasure in the idea that one of her fellows may well have found someone to share her life with, who would give her a family to love and enjoy.

But sadly, the world they lived in was not nearly so gentle. And in her eyes, the Demon Slayers were at a critical juncture, with potential disaster looming over them just as the mountains of the wolf-demons loomed over their fort. One that could shatter the tender romance that had yet to bloom as easily as it could destroy the lives and future of everyone that lived there.

_We all want this alliance to work...but that doesn't guarantee that it will. The wolf-demons still aren't used to the idea of humans as allies, not enemies or potential prey,_ Haruna grimly mused as she watched Daisuke and the others prepare for their departure for Tsuzumi Village. _And even if the alliance endures today or tomorrow...what if it fails in the future? Months...maybe even years from now...there's no way to know what will happen next..._

Which meant that she needed to make the next move.

_I'm glad that I kept watch on Michiru and Sango,_ Haruna thought as she considered her next move. _So at least I know that Daisuke won't inform the others of my plans. _Then she frowned in thought, knowing that there was more to that. _But Sango's bound to inform them of what I have in mind. And if I can't sway her and Michiru to my way of thinking, then..._

With this thought, Haruna sighed wearily. She hated having to do this, she really and truly did. As a Demon Slayer, and more importantly, as a Shikigami Master, she had sworn to protect others. Not to abuse her powers to manipulate others to her own ends.

_But my ends are the good of these people. _My _people. To ensure their survival into the future,_ Haruna reminded herself. _And the power of the Kururugi Shrine could well be the thing that tips the scales in our favor..._

And with this, Haruna nodded. It didn't matter whether she felt discomfort over her position. The survival of her people came before everything. And she would do what she felt necessary in order to ensure that. And that meant doing whatever she could to further her agenda.

"Kumori!" Haruna called out, and in response, a pentagram spun into existence a short distance before her. From it emerged a creature of darkness, a woman of ebon that came to float a short distance before the Shikigami Master, a look of intensity on her face.

Smiling fondly at the Shikigami spirit that she had summoned and bonded with, one that was unlike the ones that were aspects of her own soul and bonded her to the forces of nature, Haruna then instructed her ebon ally, "Kumori, I have a very important task for you." When the spirit of shadows nodded in response, the Shikigami Master went on to say, "I need you to go to Tsuzumi Village. But make certain that you stay out of sight; I have a plan in mind, and if things don't go well, I will need your help to implement it."

Nodding once more, Kumori then began writhing and shifting about, her form stretching out and changing into that of a serpentine dragon that flew into a wall. There it flattened against the stone, becoming a shadow as she flew silently in the surface of the wall, then up and out a nearby window. All but undetectable, hiding in shadows and stone.

Once Kumori was out of sight, Haruna issued a tired sigh. So much was not going as she had initially hoped, and she had to admit that her own blunders were a large part of that. _If only I had been aware that Michiru had already developed feelings for Sango, I could have done so much differently! I could have -!_ But even as her mind strayed down this path, the Shikigami Master shook her head, stopping these recriminations in their path. _No. This is too important for me to ignore or let go. I _have_ to pursue this, to help protect the future of my people._ Heaving a deep sigh at this, Haruna descended the stairs, intent on returning to her duties. To the task of helping others. _For while I wish otherwise...in this case, the ends _do _justify the means..._

* * *

Author's Notes: Looks like Michiru's going to be out of action for a while longer, and things are getting more intense in Tsuzumi Village! So please, read and review! And maybe check out some of my other stories?

Recently, I decided to go back to college and get an Associate's Degree in Digital Media Design. While I have high hopes this will improve my employability, it has been chewing up a bit more of my time. So I apologize for the delay in updates.

Also, I have decided to set up a account in order to support my fanfiction writing. If you want to support me and make it easier for me to keep bringing stories for all of you to enjoy, then please go to my profile. I have two accounts; one to support my artworks, and one to support my fanfictions, both of which are clearly marked.

MediaJunkie, I don't know how long this series will go, to be honest. I'm just bamming stuff out to the tune of my inspiration. And I'm leaving the issue of Miroku's mother up in the air for the moment.

Fwee F W E E, if you have a story in mind, I really do encourage you to try and write it out and make it real. Don't compare yourself to other authors and shoot yourself down in that way. I'm glad you approve of my portrayal of Kagome, especially since this is quite likely one of the most controversial items in these stories. And I am quite sick and tired of efforts to paint abuse as being entertaining, comedic, sexy, etc. To do that is to normalize and such cruelty and make it acceptable in the eyes of other.

inginuyasha, Michiru wasn't expecting that, either. LOL. I'm glad to hear that I've provided some inspiration.

Guest, yes, that was pointed out to me by my friend, Mr. Lee. I have to admit to having had trouble with that bit. I've already made changes to that scene.

Fenikkusumaru, you're right and things are about to get a lot more hectic.

Keep Calm and Be Ninja, Haruna is indeed going to be a persisting problem. Well, it might take a while for Kagome to grow out of her behaviors, given how long she's been like this. You'll have to wait a bit longer to find out what exactly was in those texts, as what Miroku is going to do.

HotelKatz, that would certainly be funny. :D

LeonioAria Niru, it will be a bit longer, but Janis will be joining the rest of the team eventually. I'm afraid Sango's affliction will get worse before it gets better. And yup, the only time Kagome and InuYasha seem to get it together is during a battle or when one's been hurt. That really doesn't strike me as being a relationship of any kind.

J4RRE77, that's going to be one heck of a debate. And I did my best to focus on the others.

Deiru Tamashi, I hope this chapter satisfied.

keller75863548274483, it won't be pretty, that much is certain.

Uruz 11, Haruna isn't going to give up on her ambitions in the slightest. You're going to get a better idea as to why in the future. I agree that having the ability to do something doesn't mean it should be done; humanity's gotten itself in a lot of trouble by going that route in the past. And the difference in timeframes will be a major issue as we proceed. And one thing that we have to remember is that the Demon Slayers have recently been badly hurt, and those are that much more desperate to prevent themselves from being hurt thus by Naraku or anyone else ever again. That's one of the reasons Haruna has so much support. Sango already plans on discussing the situation with the others, as you've seen here. The Curse of Kasuga is very serious, though you will have to wait and see what happens with Sango. Yup, Naraku is getting plenty of time to rest and recover, unfortunately. Kaname chatting with Kikyo is certainly an interesting idea for later on, especially once Kikyo realizes that Kaname is interested in InuYasha. I was also thinking of having Kaname tell Kikyo of Kagome's abusive and manipulative behavior towards the half-demon. Given how little Kikyo is around, I'm not sure she's even aware of Kagome's bad behavior on that front. Well, I was already planning on having Kaname make something for InuYasha to eat, though I was considering maybe something like spaghetti. It's made up of noodles, but unlike the instant kind, something that she can show she's putting effort into. And since something he hasn't had before, it might be more effective in getting his attention. Glad you liked that Michiru/Sango scenes. This is a kind of relationship that Sango's never had before, one in which she's treated with love and respect instead of Miroku's manipulative and lecherous behaviors. I figured a scene like where Michiru declines Haruna's offer would work very well. As for InuYasha's favor from Shippo...it's a doozy.

Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint, well, to be fair, Kaname hasn't been with the group long enough to know about such things. Also (and this is just my opinion, mind you) the negatives in InuYasha's relationship with Kagome far outweigh the positives. In an epilogue chapter of InuYasha set after the ending of the series, we see that InuYasha is still wearing the Beads of Subjugation, and Kagome still sits him for fun, all the while lecturing him that he should trust her more. That's not a relationship; that's abuse, pure and simple. Haruna does have her reasons, though as you can tell, Sango isn't going to like them. And the gang will be getting some new clothes and weapons. School uniforms really don't work well for tripping around the countryside in the Feudal Era.

Raidentensho, wow, good guess on the nature of Sango's condition. I'm impressed.


	5. Hard Choices

Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or anything associated with it. I have written this story solely because I enjoy writing.

Legacy of the Cursed Mask: Battle Across Time

Chapter 5: Hard Choices

It was a fine morning as Miroku made his way towards the scooped out section of the land where his father had passed away. The sun was shining, the only clouds in the sky were light and puffy with no sign of rain or anything more than the gentle breeze that was rippling the grass. Even the memorial that Mushin had made in the name Miroku's fallen father seemed oddly at peace this day.

"Father..." Miroku began as he studied the artifact. He knew that the spirit of his father was in no way bound to this place. That it had long since moved on to whatever fate it deserved. But at the same time, there was no getting around the memories that were attached to this place. To that horrible moment when Miroku had watched his father be sucked into his own Wind Tunnel. "It's been quite some time since I was last here."

The stone didn't answer. Miroku knew it wouldn't. But there was still so much that he needed to give voice to. Things that he couldn't speak about to the living. And so he continued.

"When I was growing up with you and Mushin...there was a lot that I didn't question. A lot of things you taught me and showed me that I never even thought twice about," Miroku admitted, pausing to glance down upon his right hand. Still unused to the sight of bare skin where the abyssal Wind Tunnel had once been. "You both taught me everything that you knew about utilizing spiritual power, crafting talismans and creating spiritual barriers and the ways of fighting demons. You showed me how it was our duty to defend the good people from demons who lived solely to kill, and how to be strong enough to fight for them."

A few seconds passed before Miroku again lowered his right hand and scowled. "You also taught me how to exploit the generosity of others to a man of the cloth, to steal from those who had plenty and take in the beauty of women for my own pleasure. And in those days...those lessons made sense." His eyes narrowing somewhat, the monk hesitated before speaking again. "I remember laughing at other monks alongside you. Monks who were true and virtuous and abstained themselves from taking the wealth of others. Monks who slept out in the rain and had next to nothing, save for the clothes on their backs, while we enjoyed the fruits of the white lies we told in order to dine and sleep in the wealthiest of homes. Monks who had nothing while we always had plenty, tricking the more criminal lords so that we could rob them of their wealth. Monks who..."

At this, Miroku sighed. The laughter of his younger years, laughter at the expense of those who were genuinely pious and devout, echoing in his mind. "I never questioned it. And it made sense to me," he finally admitted. "We did so much good, so why shouldn't we be rewarded for it? Why should we allow offerings to Buddha rot or be taken by the local wildlife when we, who were in service to Buddha, needed food ourselves? Why shouldn't we benefit from the wealth of others when we imperiled ourselves in their services? And why not appreciate the women we...?"

At this point, Miroku hesitated. Sango's angry face again appearing in his thoughts, prompting him to tighten his grip on his staff. "Why shouldn't we take advantage of the fortunetelling and...the beauty of the women we happened upon?" he concluded. "Our fortunes certainly made the women happy...and goodness knows that they were quick to show their appreciation. Which certainly felt good. And experiencing them in their natural splendor as they bathed, or when we..."

Again, memories were rushing up. Memories of the sheer, delicious pleasure Miroku had always experienced whenever he had caught Sango in a state of undress or had been able to caress her exquisite buttocks. Memories that were followed the Demon Slayer's angered visage again calling him out for his sinfulness before abandoning him forever.

"I..." Miroku began again, faltering momentarily as he recovered from the mental imagery, "...it always felt so good. Even though I knew that the women...that they hated it, it didn't seem wrong to me. Especially back then. I didn't see how anybody was being hurt. We never touched them, all we did was look at them...and it always felt so _good..."_ Pausing to heave a deep breath, the monk slowly shook his head. "Even after you...and I started out on my search for Naraku...I knew that many people considered what I was doing to be wrong, but it _still_ felt so good. It was honestly one of the few pleasures I had in my life. And so I didn't really care. And when I met the others and started traveling with them...I honestly thought that they accepted what I did. What I _was."_

As his shattered self-delusions again danced in his mind, Miroku shook his head sadly. "But of all the lies I had told myself, that was the biggest of them all. And that lie has cost me the woman that I loved so dearly." A surge of anger then made itself known, prompting the monk to raise his staff and ram the butt of it down again. As the rings tingled in response to the motion, Miroku muttered, "I had a chance at being truly happy, Father. I could have had a loving wife, a family, everything that I...that grandfather, your father, never had. I could have...and the sinfulness that I've been cultivating for all these years ruined it all." Feeling a lump of bile forming in his throat, the monk swallowed loudly before continuing. "And now I know that...in another time, that same sinfulness cost the lives of many. Perhaps Sango's life as well. And it's only because of a twist in time that we've been given a second chance."

A beat passed as Miroku considered his next words. "But there isn't going to be a second chance for me, Father. I've lost Sango forever, and I can't imagine any other woman tolerating me. Tolerating what I _am._ What you raised me to be; another generation in a bloodline steeped in sin." His eyes narrowing as he continued to study the small monument in his father's name, the monk heaved a deep, heavy sigh. "You are my father, and wherever you are, I still love you as a son. You taught me many valuable skills, and enabled me to become a powerful monk in my own right," he finally admitted. "But I hate the kind of person that you and Master Mushin raised me to be. You knew that what we were doing was wrong, and yet continued to raise me in your own image. The image of a lecher, a con artist, and a thief. And now those things are set so firmly in me that I don't see how I can be anything else. And for that...I don't think I can ever forgive that. Anymore than I...than I can forgive myself."

Several seconds passed as Miroku continued to study the monument. There was no response to his words, to his anger, anything. Only another gentle breeze carrying with it a series of leaves that may or may not have been an omen.

"I...that's all. That's all that I have to say," Miroku finally informed the monument. A monument erected in the memory of powerful monk...and a lecherous, conniving fool. "I'm sorry if I've hurt you, but...these were all things that I _needed _to say before -"

"Before what?" came a voice from behind.

Gasping in surprise as he jumped slightly, Miroku felt his spine stiffen in sudden mortification. Realizing that his entreaty to his father had been overheard and who it had been overheard by, he slowly turned around. And was none too surprised when he saw Mushin standing a few yards away.

Nor was Miroku at all surprised to see anger in Mushin's aged features. Or the two letters Miroku had written the previous night clenched in one hand.

"Surprised to see me, Miroku?" Mushin wondered in a hard voice.

Blinking a few times at this, Miroku frowned and heaved a deep sigh. "I wasn't expecting you to wake up until after I had left," he slowly admitted. "You never were one to greet the sunrise."

"True. But I didn't have much time for drinking with all the work I had and the catching up we were doing yesterday," Mushin explained as he approached. "And it's a very good thing, seeing as I woke up to find you trying to slip away with nothing but a letter to explain why you decided to disappear!"

Scowling once more, Miroku glanced at the two letters clenched in Mushin's hand. "And if you had read that letter, you would know that I had specifically instructed you _not _to read the letter I had left for Kagome and the others. That it was for them and them alone."

"Never mind that now!" Mushin retorted in a harsh manner even as he came to stand before Miroku. "Is it true what you said in here?! That you threatened someone with your Wind Tunnel?! A human and one of your own group?!"

Miroku's first impulse was to lie. His skin had been saved by deceit many times in the past, and much happiness had been brought to him by his deceptions. But even as this impulse appeared, Sango's angry face again appeared in his mind. _You know, when I came here, I honestly thought that you might find it in yourself to admit that you were the one responsible. That when it was down to just the two of us, all by ourselves, you could admit what _really_ happened,_ her mental image once more declared._ But I guess I should've known that wouldn't be the case. After all, when it comes to a choice between the truth and lying, lying is almost always your first and _only_ choice!_

And as these words sounded once more in his mind, Miroku realized that there was no point in even trying to lie. Mushin already knew the truth, all spelled out by the monk's own hand. So trapped and without any other viable options, Miroku sighed and nodded, "Yes, it's true. I made a horrible mistake...and now I am paying for it."

Cursing beneath his breath, Mushin growled deep in his throat before crying out, "Of all the - how could you even _think _of doing that?! I mean, I know that you've threatened Hachi with your Wind Tunnel in the past, but to - did you even think about the potential consequences?!"

"If you're asking about the danger Michiru had been in, I was prepared to shut down the Wind Tunnel the instant he agreed to leave," Miroku quickly replied. "And as for the other consequences...no, I had not. But Sango already spelled those out for me."

"Well, I certainly - Miroku, c'mon! I've always known that you were tainted, but something like _this?!"_ Mushin went on, anger mixed with disbelief. "Threatening someone's life over a _woman?!_ When you've already gone after -?!"

"Not _a _woman! Sango!" Miroku spat out, his emotional baggage fraying his temper far worse than usual. "You want the truth, Mushin?! I was desperate! I was scared to death of losing the woman that I had truly come to love, and I made things that much worse! And in the end, all I ended up doing was giving her that much more reason to leave me! So _yes,_ Mushin! I am _painfully _aware of - of...!"

With these words, what anger had flared up burned itself out, and then faded in the wake of further shame brought forth by memories. Prompting Miroku to turn and hide his face from the monk that had raised him. "I...I'm sorry, Miroku. I just...I never imagined that you would..." Mushin hesitantly began. But eventually, his aged master sighed wearily. "Whew...you certainly fell for that one, didn't you?"

Pausing to nod and think back to what he had once had, Miroku sighed somberly. "I did...and I lost her. I lost her because of what I am."

"Miroku..." Mushin began again.

"Sango told me right to my face how much she hated...so much about me," Miroku sadly admitted. "All the things that I was so used to doing, things that I - that you and Father taught me, and..."

"Now, Miroku, c'mon," Mushin began again, this time in a gentler tone. "I'm sorry I lost my head there, but still...it isn't so bad, and -"

"It _is _that bad, Mushin," Miroku quickly retorted. "Sango was right; I had had plenty of time to build something with her. After Michiru returned to his...to his home, I could have...but I didn't." A beat passed before the monk added, "I didn't because I enjoyed being what I was too much. I enjoyed the attention of all the women we encountered, exploiting the wealthy for our own benefit, and..." Wincing as he again thought about his own sinfulness, Miroku concluded, "The fact is that I was _never_ going to have Sango unless I was the _only _person she could have. I tried to win her back, but I had already lost her. I lost her the instant she started falling in love with Michiru. Because of what I truly am."

There was a heavy silence in the wake of Miroku's words. A silence that was eventually broken when Mushin muttered, "I see. So _that's _why you were asking about your father and grandfather. About the women that they had been with."

"Yes. I wanted to know how they had succeeded where I had failed. How they had been able to...find love in spite of what they were," Miroku confirmed with a slow nod. Right before he allowed his head to droop down in shame. "But they never did. My father was born of a one-time fling, and I...well, you've made it clear that whatever was between Father and my mother, it ended badly."

"Miroku, that - that wasn't the same, and -!" Mushin tried some more, only to groan in dismay. "Even so...you can't possibly be serious about -!"

"I am. If you've read both letters, then you know that I'm completely serious about this, and more importantly, _why,"_ Miroku declared in a no-nonsense tone even as he again turned to face Mushin. "Sango and the others...they don't trust me anymore. I've already destroyed that. And more to the point, I no longer have anything to offer them that would make them want to continue their journey in my company." Pausing to take in the dumbstruck expression worn by his master, the man who had continued to raise him after his father's death, Miroku heaved a deep a breath and spelled everything out. "Which is why I'm leaving the others. And continuing my own journey...alone."

* * *

"I have to be honest; I have my concerns about this," Totosai muttered as he sat cross-legged in front of Michiru, Sango, Shippo, Kanna, and Kirara. A heavy frown on the aged blacksmith's face. "I have some familiarity with the process the Demon Slayers have proposed for this treatment, and...it's not entirely without risk."

"I know," Michiru admitted with a wan nod as he sat in the corner, propped up against the walls. "Ienobu and the others, they said it would be dangerous if they tried to wake me up before I was recovered. But..."

As the aged blacksmith frowned a bit more, Sango couldn't help but admit that she felt similarly. It had not been long since she, Michiru, and Shippo had returned from meeting with the heads of the Spirit and Mystic Demon Slayers, and she was not particularly pleased with what had been said. For while she was glad that they had a method for helping Michiru recover quickly, there was still a great deal that unsettled her about everything.

"Agreed. Which means that we'd have to be absolutely certain that nothing happened to disturb you until you awakened," Sango frowned tensely. "And while Haruna seems confident in those Servitors...I'm not sure I trust Haruna."

At this, Kanna gazed up at Sango. "You...y-you don't think she'd try to...hurt him, do you?"

"No, of course not!" Sango quickly assured the now-human girl that was in her care. But even as she said these words, she again frowned as other possibilities occurred to her. "But that being said...she might try and find some way to...influence you," she admitted as she again focused on Michiru. "Something like mind control, or something more subtle. I don't know..."

"I know. But I don't see what choice we have," Michiru admitted with a weak shrug. "Right now, I'm nothing but a burden to you all. And who knows how long we have until Naraku attacks again? Or _something _else happens?" Pausing to give a slight shake of his head, the Shikigami User went on to say, "I don't see how I can afford to just...lay around for weeks, waiting to get better. Especially with...everything that's been happening."

"Well, yeah, but...maybe we should...put this thing off for a day or two?" Shippo anxiously suggested. "Just long enough to get InuYasha and the others to come out here? So they can help keep an eye on you?"

Sango considered this possibility for a moment, but before she could say anything, Totosai exclaimed, "Are you mad?! And leave the metal bird unguarded?! We can't do that!"

As Shippo jumped slightly and Kanna shrank back from the suddenly irate blacksmith, Sango sighed heavily. "Totosai's right, Shippo," she admitted with considerable reluctance. "InuYasha and the others have to stay in Tsuzumi Village. At least until we can find someplace where we can keep the jet that's safe."

"And that's why I _have _to do this." Michiru insisted, narrowing his eyes firmly. "We're spread too thin, and there's too much that we have to do. I can't afford to spend weeks in bed, waiting to get better."

"I know. But still...I don't like the idea of having to depend so much on Haruna," Sango admitted, the Shikigami Master's agenda still burning in the pit of her stomach. "Or those Servitors of hers...we have no idea what they're capable of, and..."

Sango trailed off, unwilling to give voice to the many dread possibilities that were even now floating through her mind. She had seen her dear brother manipulated so many times by Naraku that it had left her heart on the verge of breaking more times than she could count. And while it was apparent that Haruna's intentions were good, good intentions could sometimes go wrong.

Also, Sango had seen people with good intentions willing to make horrible sacrifices in their name. And leaving Michiru vulnerable in such a way...

"At the very least...maybe we should put this off. At least until tonight...or better, tomorrow morning," Sango explained even as Michiru gave her a look. "That would give us a chance to look over everything the Demon Slayers will be using, asking about the potential risks and so on...and making sure that Haruna won't be able to do anything to manipulate you in some way." A few seconds passed as the Kururugi boy frowned uncertainly, clearly focused on becoming battle ready again to the exclusion of virtually everything else. Knowing that feeling better than most could imagine, the warrior woman then managed a tender smile for him. "And..."

Still uncertain, Michiru returned Sango's gaze. "And what?"

A few seconds passed in silence, with the Demon Slayer finally heaving a tired sigh. "And..." began, a weary smile tugging at her lips as she placed her hand upon Michiru's shoulder, "...I'd like to...I just think it would be nice to...spend another day with you. You know...before they start the treatment." When the Kururugi boy blinked in response, Sango smiled and sadly shook her head. "With...everything that's happened...I'd just...like to be able to spend one more peaceful day with you. Before you have to...well, you know."

A few seconds passed as Michiru visibly considered these words...and finally smiled broadly. "I...I'd like that, too," he finally replied, weakly reaching up to caress Sango's cheek. An action she aided by taking hold of her beloved's wrist and pressing his hand more firmly against her skin. "Then I'd...have something more to dream about...while I'm sleeping."

Feeling her cheeks flush somewhat at this, Sango sighed and nodded. Only for the moment to be ruined when Shippo remarked, "Wow. So _this _is what actual couples act like. I never saw InuYasha this way with Kagome. Or you and Miroku, for that matter."

Hissing slightly in her throat, Sango shrank back a bit from Michiru. She honestly wished that Shippo hadn't brought up the monk, for there was a great deal she wasn't happy about in regards to their breakup and the circumstances around it. As well as guilt surrounding the way she had finally addressed Miroku's ill deeds.

"Um...anyway. As I said, it would give us a chance to look things over and make sure that everything's safe for you," Sango went on as she tried to recover. "Still, I do think that one of us should go back to Tsuzumi Village and let InuYasha and the others know what's going on. About the treatment and the rest of it. Even if they can't come here, they should know about it. Especially Kaname."

"Yeah, I think you're right," Shippo nodded. "Would you like me to go back to the Village?"

Sango was about to say no to this, that she should be the one to return, if only for a very brief time. For one thing, she still needed to brief the others regarding Haruna's plans and that they should be wary of any potential schemes on her part to bind the group as a whole or the Kururugis to Demon Slayer law. And in any case, she felt that it was her responsibility to do so.

But before Sango could say so much as a word, another voice was heard. "If you wish, I could let them know." Starting at the voice, the warrior woman and the others turned about to see Daisuke standing at the open door to their room. "My apologies, everyone, but...you left the door open, and -"

"Uh, no! No, that's fine!" Sango hurriedly assured the rugged Demon Slayer leader. "I just - well...anyway, I...Daisuke, I appreciate the offer, but...I _do _think that I should be the one to talk to them. After all, I'm part of that team, and...I just wouldn't feel right, letting someone else do it for me."

Pausing to give a thoughtful nod to this, Daisuke then replied, "I understand that, Sango. However, I don't think that would be a particularly good idea. Now let me explain before you say anything." Hesitating at this, another polite protest on the tip of her tongue, the warrior woman then nodded and settled down. "Kei informed me about the demonic taint she sensed in your aura. And while we can't be certain what effect it will have on you, I _would _feel better if you were to spend as much time resting and relaxing here." Then he gave Michiru a look and added, "And I suspect that Michiru would appreciate your company as well."

Her heart skipping a beat at this, Sango looked over at Michiru. And as he looked back, she had to admit that Daisuke had a valid point in this. "But - well...no offense, Daisuke, but...I really do think it'd be better if I were the one who -"

"I'll do it," Totosai abruptly broke in.

Starting at this, Sango turned and looked at the aged blacksmith. And she wasn't the only one; everyone there, even Kanna, turned a baffled gaze at Totosai as they processed what he had said. "Wait - _you'll _go?!" Shippo finally got out, sounding as if he were unsure he had heard this correctly. "Seriously?!"

"Indeed," Totosai confirmed with a quick nod. "It is because of my impulsive actions that Sango was afflicted thusly. If it would be in any way harmful for her to leave right now, then it's because of my mistake, and so it's my responsibility. So...I'll inform InuYasha and the others about it."

A few seconds passed as Sango considered this matter for a while longer...before she ultimately gave a polite bow of her head. "Alright. I guess that's the best option, all things considered." Then she gave Totosai a look before adding, "Just...when you talk to them, I think it would be best if you didn't mention Haruna's plan to them. I'd still prefer to be the one to handle it, and...well, we both know how InuYasha would react, finding out that Haruna wants...um..."

Groaning in his throat, Totosai paused to massage a head that had been a frequent target for InuYasha's knuckles when the aged blacksmith had said something that he had not wanted to hear. "Ugh...good point," he finally admitted. "Yes, I think it would be much better for everyone if you were to handle that."

Nodding to this, glad that at least one matter was settled, Sango then frowned and returned her attention to her fellow Demon Slayer. "Anyway, Daisuke...what are you doing back here?" she wondered. "I thought you'd be on your way to Tsuzumi Village by now."

"We were about to leave when I had an idea, and I wanted to run it past you before anything else happened," Daisuke explained as he came closer and knelt down in front of Sango. "Now, after our old fort was destroyed, someone suggested that we could relocate to your old fort. Which means that it's still standing."

"That's right," Sango nodded, her insides twisting about as she thought about the ruined structure that had once been her home, as well as the home of many Demon Slayers, personal friends, and families. And now...was home to little more than memories and bodies buried along the outer walls.

"What condition is it in?" Daisuke wondered, taking this matter slowly. "And are there any raw materials for making weapons? Demon bones, anything like that?"

"It's damaged, but...I suppose it could be repaired," Sango hesitantly admitted. "And...there are plenty of weapons and old demon bones there. But they haven't been blessed or anything, so if you were to remove them, the local demons would be drawn to them almost immediately. Why?"

"Because if your old fort is still standing," Daisuke began, speaking slowly and carefully, "then it might just be the perfect place for us to keep the metal bird."

As these words echoed in the small room, the eyes of everyone listening widened in surprise. With Sango the most surprised of all. "Our old fort...but Daisuke, it's nowhere near secure enough for that! Even if it were repaired, I don't see how we could use it to keep Naraku from getting the - the bird!"

"If we were to restore it to the way it was before, then I would have to agree," Daisuke promptly nodded. "However, if we were to use the frame of your old fort as a starting point for rebuilding it into a more secure fortification with barrier stones and other defenses, then it should serve us well." Then the seasoned warrior glanced about at the others before adding, "And as we've already established, time is our enemy on all fronts. We cannot afford to waste time in finding and erecting a safe place where we can keep the bird."

"Hey, that might work!" Shippo bleated out excitedly. "What do you think, Sango?!"

Sango didn't say anything at first, because in all honesty, she didn't know what to think. For on the one hand, Daisuke was correct that they couldn't waste time in making a place to keep the jet. The longer it remained in Tsuzumi Village, the more danger the people there were in. And they needed a safe and secure place where they could melt it down and use the purified demonic material it was now made of in order to enhance their weapons and build new tools with which to fight Naraku.

And yet...

_My home...transformed..._ Sango thought, her insides twisting about like a nest of anxious snakes. _To make it strong enough to withstand demons like Naraku...they would have to rebuild it completely from the ground up! Nothing would be the same, and -!_

At this, Sango's chain of thought petered out, for the truth was that she didn't like that idea at all. For while it was painful for her to see her former home in its current sorry state, it was still a place she could come back to when the spirit moved her to do so. She had gone there to tend to and repair her weapons, to visit the graves of her family and loved ones, and...remember.

Remember when the fort had been a place filled with life. When it had bustled with her friends and families, with good neighbors and warriors she had been in the midst of training and working with. Remember all of the things that Sango had lost. And see them in her mind like they still inhabited the world of the living.

_Nothing would be the same - they couldn't leave anything as it was!_ Sango thought with increasing alarm. _I - he can't - we just can't -!_

But even as Sango became increasingly alarmed, she blinked a few times and heaved a deep sigh in the face of cold, hard reality. For the truth of the matter was that...Daisuke was right.

_But we have to. There's no other way,_ Sango finally, reluctantly admitted to herself. _Daisuke's right; we can't afford to spend all that time, searching for somewhere we can build something to keep the jet safe. And the people of Tsuzumi Village - everyone that would be endangered if Naraku ever got his hands on the jet - we have to...we can't afford to waste any time! So...!_

Several seconds passed as Sango considered their options...only to realize that they had none. If her old home was their best chance of creating a suitable fortification where they could keep the jet safe, then...they had to use it. Which really left only one question. "But...how could we do that? Transporting supplies, people to repair and...refurbish the fort...and with the food issue and supplies -!"

"That's part of my reasoning here," Daisuke went on to say. "You see, I was also hoping to repurpose your old fort into a supply depot. A place where people could hunt game and maybe even raise some livestock to help us out. It would take some time to establish, I realize, but...at the very least, I think it's a possibility that should be considered." Then his face fell slightly before he propped it up with a smile that was at least partly forced. "And as for transporting supplies and personnel...I suspect that another of Haruna's projects might be of use in that venture."

Now Sango was more surprised and distressed. "What?" she wondered, frowning as she contemplated her fellow Demon Slayer. "But - Daisuke, how?"

"Haruna and the others - they've been using the Kururugi Shrine texts to create a new sailing ship," Daisuke slowly explained. "It's not yet complete, but...it would be large enough to transport a goodly number of Demon Slayers and supplies to the fort."

"A sailing ship?!" Totosai repeated, clearly as baffled as the rest of them. "But what possible good could that do?! There's no river large enough or -!"

"It's a ship that - Haruna and the others claim - would sail through the _skies,"_ Daisuke explained, much to the consternation of everyone there. "I know, I know. It sounds preposterous, but...they all seem certain that it will work. And if it does, then..."

At this, Daisuke shrugged helplessly. And Sango felt that she understood why he was not pleased with this. For while such developments were beneficial for the Demon Slayers as a whole, it was likely that every such development and major innovation by Haruna and those who felt as she did would lure more and more Demon Slayers over to her camp. Meaning that less support would be given to Daisuke...and more would be given to throwing away things such as laws and morality in favor of expediency and getting their way.

Once again resolving to get Michiru away from there as soon as he had recovered, Sango was distracted when Shippo cried out, "Really?! A boat that _flies?!"_

"That's what she claims. And she and the others have already constructed _and _flown small models of this ship as proof that such a thing can and will work," Daisuke admitted. "I'm worried that they're moving too fast, and I've made it clear that this craft is to be tested fully once it's complete, but..." Shaking his head tiredly, the seasoned warrior again sighed. "If it _does _work, then...I have to admit that it would be ideal for such a venture."

Sango had to agree. But more and more, she was becoming disturbed by the sheer number of developments and innovations that had been made in their absence. _This medical center, those Servitors and everything else when they never had anything like it before...it's all happening so fast!_ she thought even as she looked at Michiru. And saw concern inscribed upon his face as well. _What kind of spells were in that book his father gave him?! What -?!_

"Sango," Daisuke spoke again, snapping the warrior woman from her thoughts. "Listen, I...I realize that your fort must hold a great many memories for you. And believe me, I understand that the idea of us converting it for such a purpose must be difficult. But at the same time...our options are limited. And so..."

"I know, Daisuke," Sango broke in as the veteran Slayer hesitated. "And you're right; this is something that has to be done. But..." Pausing to consider her next words even as her heart was rebelling, the warrior woman looked at Daisuke with pleading eyes. "I just...after the fort was attacked, InuYasha and the others...they made sure to bury our dead there. And so...when you start sending people there...all I ask is that their graves be respected."

A few seconds passed as Daisuke considered this. Once those seconds had passed, he gave a sad smile and bowed his head in acceptance. "Of course. And I'll be sure that, before any changes are made...that you'll have plenty of time to visit. And...make peace with your past."

"I don't think I'll _ever _be fully at peace with the past," Sango admitted with a sad smile. "But...thank you, anyway."

Again, Daisuke bowed his head in understanding. "I'm not sure if there's much to thank me for, given the circumstances, but...you're welcome." A second or so passed before he rose up to his feet. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to join Ienobu, Kei, and Teruyo."

"Then I may as well accompany you," Totosai muttered, grunting as he rose to his feet. "Since I've already volunteered to be the bearer of bad news..."

Nodding to this, Daisuke then focused on Sango once more. "Oh, and one more thing," he began, prompting the warrior woman to look intently at him. "Given the situation, I suspect that you have some...concerns about Haruna and her role in Michiru's treatment."

Pausing to wonder if Daisuke had overheard her ruminations in that regard, Sango nodded. "I'm sorry, but...I have to admit to being worried that she might try something to...persuade Michiru. Or at least make it...easier to win him over while he's sleeping."

"Understandable. And while I can't ever imagine Haruna ever using sorcery to manipulate someone's mind in such a manner...I can also understand why you'd be concerned about that," Daisuke admitted with a solemn look. "Which is why, if you have any questions or concerns, you should speak to Seiesnsui about them."

"Seiesnsui?" Sango repeated, recalling one of the heads of the Mystic class with the long beard and elegant robe. "Well, alright, but...why him?"

"Because while he isn't a Shikigami Master, he is knowledgeable enough about magic to know the signs of such manipulations when he sees them," Daisuke explained. "Also, he's of the old guard and is one of the most wary about all of these recent developments. As well as the steps Haruna's taking to in their name. He can be trusted to advise you well in that respect."

After pausing to consider this, Sango then nodded her appreciation. "Alright. I'll be sure to keep that in mind," she eventually replied. "Thank you for mentioning that."

"I only wish that I could do more," Daisuke admitted. "Though the way things are, I - no. Never mind." Waving aside whatever incomplete thought he had decided not to speak, the veteran warrior then smiled and gave a polite bow of his head. "Take care of yourselves, all of you. I hope to see you all again very soon."

"As do I," Sango nodded. Smiling as Daisuke and Totosai took their leave. Allowing her to once again to tend to Michiru. While Kanna, relieved of the burden of being close to too many people, edged closer to the warrior woman and the one she loved so dearly.

_I promised to take care of you,_ Sango vowed inwardly as she placed a reassuring hand on Kanna's shoulder as well. Positioning herself so that she could comfort both the one she loved and this unlikely child in her care. _And that's what I intend to do._

* * *

"You can't be serious..." Mushin breathed, staring at Miroku in stupefied disbelief. "You really intend to go off on your own?!"

"Yes, I do," Miroku confirmed with a curt nod. "I've betrayed Sango and the others, and it's obvious that their tolerance for my ways is at an end, so I can't see how they would continue to accept me among them. My Wind Tunnel is gone, so I no longer have anything to offer them. And..."

Miroku cut himself off as he flashed back to when he had heard Myoga proclaim that Sango and Michiru were sharing a bed. The moment when he realized that he had lost her beyond any possible hope of ever winning her back.

"And...I don't want to see Sango and Michiru together," Miroku eventually confessed. "I don't want to see him with the woman I love...and lost." Shuddering at this thought, of continuing with the others as Michiru and Sango built upon the lives and love they were now building up together, the monk shook his head in mute agony. "I've gone through a great many painful and terrible things, but...that is a torment that I cannot bear to face."

"But - Miroku, be serious here!" Mushin protested, looking more stunned than Miroku could ever remember seeing him. "Now, I can understand you being upset, but - like I said, there are still plenty of girls around! And you have _plenty _to offer the others and -!"

"Like what?!" Miroku demanded in a harsher tone. "I don't have InuYasha's or Sango's strength in battle, my spiritual powers absolutely pale in comparison to those of Kagome's, Michiru and Kaname both have magical powers that make any ability I have completely irrelevant...even Shippo and his fox magic are greater than any power that I wield!"

"That all might be true, but you are still a skilled fighter, even without your Wind Tunnel!" Mushin quickly pointed out. "And besides, there's more to waging war against creatures such as Naraku then strength or power! It takes cunning and wisdom! And that is something that you have in abundance!"

As he considered these words, Miroku sighed, and then heaved a shallow, bitter chuckle. "Cunning? Wisdom?" he repeated once his hollow mirth had subsided. "Mushin...I couldn't even see the obvious when it was right in front of my face. I had had my chance to win the woman I loved with Naraku's apparent death, and I squandered it on the same pleasures that I and my father and my grandfather before me have pursued our entire lives. Truly, there are few less cunning or wise than I am."

"But - but -!" Mushin sputtered before giving a furious shake of his head. "Miroku, what about Naraku?! How in blazes do you expect to be able to fight Naraku on your own?!"

"I don't," Miroku flatly admitted. "In fact, I don't intend to fight Naraku at all."

With these words, Mushin's jaw fell in complete shock. "You're -?!" the aged monk sputtered out in horrified disbelief. "You can't possibly mean - Miroku, you would actually stand down and let that monster triumph?! After everything that your father and grandfather -?!"

"I'm not letting Naraku do anything. What I'm doing is standing down...and letting those who can actually fight and win against Naraku do what they have to do without my interference." Miroku hesitantly explained. "I am now virtually without power or worth to them. And the fact that...with my guilt exposed, all I can do is cause more damage to the others. Fuel the conflict going on between them. And that's something they can't afford to have happen."

"But what about you?!" Mushin went on, now shaking in his agitation. "What if Naraku comes after you again?! You don't think that he'll forget about...what you did?!"

"And that's another reason I should leave the others," Miroku insisted, much to Mushin's surprise. "The whole reason he sought to gain control of my Wind Tunnel was so that he could prevent me from ever attempting to threaten Michiru or Kaname ever again. He wants their powers for himself, so he wanted to be certain that I could do nothing to threaten that." Pausing to consider his aged master for a moment, the monk went on to say, "As long as I am with them, he might decide to strike at me. To make sure that I could do nothing like that in the future. But if I continue alone...well, I certainly can't be a threat to either Michiru or Kaname, now can I?"

"And what if Naraku decides to strike at you again while you're traveling alone, just to be certain?!" Mushin went on with increasing intensity. "Alone, no Wind Tunnel, against any of those incarnations of his that you've talked about...what do you think your chances of surviving under those circumstances?!"

Pausing to consider this possibility, Miroku heaved a deep breath before nodding. "I'd say that they would be very poor. And if I honestly cared about my survival, such a prospect might well frighten me enough to return to the others." Then the monk lowered his eyes and admitted, "However...I no longer care about that."

Once again, Mushin's jaw dropped in astonished shock. "You..." he managed to sputter out, shaking his head in disbelief. "You can't honestly mean..."

"I do. For...once upon a time, I dreamed of having the kind of life that...most people. Having a wife, children...things of that nature," Miroku admitted, a confession that was far less grandiose than most such declarations he had made in the past. "However...if Sango rejected me because of what I am, especially after all this time, then...what are the odds of me being able to find someone else? Someone who could accept me as I am?" Pausing to heave a deep sigh, he then added, "And from what you've told me about my father and grandfather..."

"But - wait! Hold on!" Mushin broke in, holding up his hands to Miroku. "What...what if you _did _have something more to offer to your friends?! What if you had tools and weapons that were even more powerful than your Wind Tunnel to assist you?! Would you at least _consider_ going back to the others?!"

This possibility surprised Miroku, prompting to frown in consideration. "Mushin, if this is another of your tricks..."

"Let me ask you a question, Miroku," Mushin went on, suddenly intense. Far more intense than the monk could ever remember seeing him. "Naraku is a powerful demon, is he not?! Even before he gained as many of the Shikon Jewel Shards as he has, he was terribly powerful, right?!"

"That's correct," Miroku nodded, suddenly confused by this shift in conversation.

"And yet your grandfather was able to track and do battle with Naraku," Mushin went on with mounting excitement. "He was able to track Naraku's whereabouts, fight against him, even force Naraku to retreat and hide once again. Force him to abandon the identity he had been using and craft a new one for himself."

"That's what you told me, yes," Miroku admitted, still not seeing where Mushin was going with this. "So...?"

"So let me ask you something; did it ever occur to you wonder _how_ your grandfather was able to fight such a powerful demon?" Mushin wondered.

Several seconds passed as Miroku considered both Mushin and his words. The entire land seemed to fall into silence as this question bounced about the confines of his mind. And it continued to do so for the better part of a second until at last Miroku groaned in his throat. "I...no. All I knew was...what you told me. I didn't even think...I hadn't fought Naraku before then, and by the time we actually encountered him, I...I just..."

Seizing this opening, Mushin then demanded, "And what about Kaguya?! The demon that took both her body and powers?! Even with the combined powers of yourself and all your friends, you were barely able to defeat her! And yet your grandfather Miyatsu was able to seal her away all by himself! How?!"

Faced with this question, Miroku groaned helplessly. "I...I don't know," he finally admitted with mounting perplexity. "I...I just assumed that his spiritual powers were...superior to mine."

Snorting a laugh at this, Mushin countered, "Well, your assumption was wrong, Miroku. For I knew Miyatsu at the height of his power. And believe me when I say that he was barely any more powerful than you are now."

Frowning at this and deciding not to remind Mushin that not everything he had told Miroku was true, the monk then went on to ask, "Well...if that's the case, then how did he do it?! How was my grandfather able to face and defeat such powerful foes?"

Smirking at this minor victory, Mushin turned and gestured for Miroku to follow. "I'll show you," he declared before starting back towards the temple.

As for Miroku...he was uncertain. Mushin was one of the ones who had taught him all of the sins he had come to know, and this wouldn't be the first time he had decided to lie about something for his own benefit.

But at the same time, the aged monk was acting far different than anything Miroku had seen before. There was an air of urgency - and perhaps even sincerity - to Mushin's words and actions that the younger monk had not experienced before.

After a brief time of considering the situation and ultimately deciding that there could be no harm in finding out what the old man was suddenly so excited about, Miroku shrugged and set off after him. And before long, he was again in the relative darkness of the shabby old temple. Where he found Mushin rummaging about the various odds and ends, muttering impatiently beneath his breath. "Now, where is it...?!" he muttered as he searched, sending odds and ends flying this way and that. "I know I didn't throw it away...it's been here since Miyatsu asked me to -!"

"Mushin?" Miroku frowned, forced to dodge another object that got thrown. "What is it that you're -?"

_"Found it!"_ Mushin cried out in delight. Looking about, Miroku watched as the elder monk drew forth a black sealed case of some kind. "Ah, I _knew _it was here somewhere!"

"What's here?" Miroku wondered with an increasing sense of impatience. "What is that?"

"A scroll. A very special scroll left behind by your grandfather," Mushin explained with a weary smile. "I had once planned to give it to you after that mess with Kaguya and Naraku, but - well, perhaps now we can actually put this to use!"

"What do you mean?!" Miroku demanded, his impatience getting the better. "What's so special about a scroll?!"

"I'll show you! Come this way!" Mushin replied as he headed over towards the dining room.

Still feeling lost and more annoyed, Miroku watched and followed as Mushin sat himself down at the table and hurriedly unsealed the case. Pulling off the lid, he then dug out a large scroll and unrolled it across the table. And upon it was...

"What the...?" Miroku wondered as he studied the artifacts that were displayed upon the scroll. "Why, these are all tools and symbols used by Buddhist monks. But they're much more ornate than usual."

"As they should be. For these...are the Sacred Treasures of Amida Nyorai," Mushin explained, gesturing at the images on the scroll. "Holy relics given to humanity by Buddha, and each and every last one of them possesses tremendous spiritual power."

Finally beginning to realize where Mushin was going with this, Miroku gaped at him. "Wait. Do you mean that...my grandfather had one of these treasures?"

"He had _three _of them, Miroku!" Mushin corrected him with mounting excitement. "The Sanko, Gokorei, and Scroll of Amida Nyorai! All of them, potent tools and weapons in their own right! But when used together...!"

As Mushin beamed with excitement, Miroku considered the matter. At first glance, he had to admit that the prospect of such powerful holy items was intriguing to say the very least. But as he continued to mull over it, he found himself frown. This wouldn't be the first time that Mushin had exaggerated something's value for some reason. And more importantly, there was already a problem with his story.

"Wait a minute. You told me before that Naraku turned my grandfather's sutra talismans against him, used them to create the Wind Tunnel in the first place," Miroku began, wanting to be sure that he wasn't being taken for a ride. "But if these treasures are truly as powerful as you claim, then why didn't he use them instead of simple talismans? For that matter - why didn't you tell me about these long before now?! Why not -?!"

"Just settle down, Miroku, and I'll explain," Mushin hurriedly interrupted. "Now...you're right that the Sacred Treasures that were in Miyatsu's possession would have been a superior weapon to use in his final confrontation with Naraku. The fact is, if he had had the time to bring one of them to bear, he may well have been able to slay Naraku that day." As Miroku frowned in surprise, the elderly monk sighed heavily. "However, the Treasures of Amida Nyorai are difficult artifacts to wield. In fact, your grandfather hated to use them, simply because they caused him such great pain."

"Pain?" Miroku frowned, now even more confused. "What do you mean? If they are holy relics, then shouldn't they only be harmful to demons?"

"They are indeed holy relics. However, it is not only demons that are vulnerable to their powers," Mushin explained, settling down somewhat. "You see, the Sacred Treasures burn the sinful, whether they be human, demons, or even gods. It takes a certain measure of spiritual power to be able to invoke their powers, as well as great skill and training in order to control their powers once they are unleashed. But even under those circumstances, if the wielder is any way sinful by nature...especially an unrepentant sinner..."

Picking up Mushin's meaning, Miroku gasped in understanding. "So...these Sacred Treasures reacted to my grandfather's lecherous ways. And would attack him even as he attempted to use them."

"Exactly. He was capable of wielding their power, but even so, they still burned his flesh and punished him for his sinful ways. And so he avoided using them whenever he possibly could," Mushin confirmed. "This is why Naraku chose to ambush him in the form of a beautiful woman; by the time Miyatsu had realized the trap he had fallen into, it was already too late."

Making a thoughtful noise in his throat, Miroku then asked, "And...is _that _why Naraku cursed him with the Wind Tunnel in the first place? To prevent him and any of his descendants from using the Sacred Treasures?"

"Precisely. At least, that's what Miyatsu and I decided made the most sense. As long as he and his bloodline were cursed with the Wind Tunnel, any attempt to use the Sacred Treasures would be instantly fatal," Mushin grimly confirmed. "It is for these reasons that I never told you of them before. Not only did the Wind Tunnel make using them impossible, but because of your...nature, I felt it likely that you wouldn't wish to bother with them. Not if they attacked you even as you tried to use them."

"I can see why," Miroku mused thoughtfully. And even as he studied the images of the artifacts, he had to admit that using such artifacts didn't truly appeal to him.

But at the same time...if they enabled him to fight...if they could give his life some kind of value in the wake of everything that had happened...

"What happened to the three Sacred Treasures that my grandfather had?" Miroku wondered. "Are they somewhere nearby?"

"No," Mushin admitted. "After his final battle with Naraku, Miyatsu was forced to turn to the priestess that would be your grandmother to gather up the three Treasures. Then she sealed each of them in sacred urns to shield them from the senses of the greedy and cruel, from those that would attempt to either corrupt or destroy them. And it was during the five months that they were apart that Miyatsu crafted three small shrines where each of the Treasures would be hidden from prying eyes. Awaiting the day when they would be needed again." With these words, he reached into the case once more and pulled forth a small envelope. "And here is the map he had made that would lead the way to all three of them."

Nodding as Mushin held out the envelope, Miroku then accepted it. "Thank you," he muttered even as he opened the envelope and pulled out the map. Pausing to study it for a short while, the monk then frowned slightly. "Let's see...it looks like the Shrine where the Sanko was hidden is located on...Mount Fuji."

"That's a long trip," Mushin pointed out, a more conniving look to his eyes now. "And it's a trip that's bound to be faster and easier with your friends at your side."

Starting at both these words and the intent behind them, Miroku quickly folded up the map and tucked it into his robe. "The others...have more important matters to deal with," he declared in solemn finality. "And even if they could afford to waste time on me...I feel that it's best that I do this by myself."

His expression falling in clear disappointment, Mushin protested. "But - Miroku, this journey is bound to be dangerous!"

"Such journeys often are," Miroku admitted as he rose from the table. "But I've faced danger before."

"Well - yes, sure! But before, you had your Wind Tunnel!" Mushin continued as Miroku started away. "Miroku, _please _don't do this! Not by yourself!"

"But I have to," Miroku replied, not even bothering to look back at Mushin.

"But _why?!"_ Mushin protested even as he forced himself up to his feet. Hurriedly interposing himself between Miroku and the door, he then pleaded, "Miroku, _please_ don't this! You have friends who can help you! Please, _let them!"_

Pausing as he studied the aged monk, Miroku heaved a deep breath before giving voice to his inner fears. "Mushin...I'm not sure that I can call them my friends anymore. Or at least...if I can call myself their friend."

"But - Miroku, you yourself told me that your friends dropped you off, and - what can be lost from simply waiting for them to pick you up and ask them then?!" Mushin demanded.

"Time," Miroku bluntly replied. "As I've already told you, the others have much that needs to be done. And far more important things to worry about than myself."

"But - even so, Miroku!" Mushin tried again, looking even more frantic. "Certainly, you realize that you're far more likely to obtain the Sacred Treasures with their help!"

Several seconds passed before Miroku gave a slow nod. "That's true."

"Then what in blazes do you hope to accomplish by doing this alone?!" Mushin demanded.

There was another heavy pause as Miroku stood there, considering how best to put his goal into words. But in the end, he could only think of one way of doing so.

He gave a tiny, sad smile, and began by saying, "Sango left me because of what I am. The others don't trust me anymore...because of what I am. Correct?"

There was a heavy silence as Mushin looked at Miroku, his eyes riddled with perplexity. Until at last he shifted about and replied, "Well...that's what you told me. But...what does _that _have to do with anything!?"

"Everything. Because the person I am now can't ever expect to find happiness. Let alone deserve it," Miroku solemnly explained. "But maybe if I can start anew...I can become someone who...might deserve a happy ending."

In the wake of these, Mushin blinked a few times in confusion before demanding, "And you have to do that by yourself?!"

"Yes. Yes, I do," Miroku said without hesitation. "Because I can't make a new future for myself...while bringing the past with me." A beat passed before he added, "Also...as I said before...I don't think I could bear to watch Michiru and Sango together. And...I honestly don't trust myself not to repeat the sins of the past in their company." Mushin quickly opened his mouth to protest some more, but the younger monk promptly held out his hand in negation. "Mushin, no. I realize that...that you're concerned about me. But...I've made up my mind. This is something that I truly have to do alone."

Again, Mushin studied the younger monk. His fear shifting to annoyance. "Are you sure you just don't want to avoid whatever punishment your friends might want to give you for all of your filthy tricks?"

To Miroku's genuine surprise, he found himself actually laughing a true laugh in response to this. "No...though I won't deny that I do not relish facing their ire."

Blinking a few times at this, Mushin then heaved a deep sigh. "Whew...I don't think I've ever seen you being this honest," he admitted after a moment. "You really _are _in a bad way..."

"Yes. I am," Miroku admitted, once again considering his own theories. As well as the realization that his sinful nature was not as harmless as he had once dismissed as being. "Which is why this is something that I have to do by myself. Before I can face the others again, I need to try - no. I need to _become _something better. Because it's the only way I can face them - face Sango - with even a shred of dignity."

Mushin frowned, and for a moment, it looked like he was going to say something along the lines of 'dignity and a sack is worth the sack', something that he had said in the past. Just one of the many justifications Mushin and Miroku's own father had given him for behavior that would shame any true monk. But ultimately, the aged monk heaved a deep, tired sigh. "You certainly are letting this whole thing get to you far too much, boy," he muttered sourly. "Here's hoping that some time wandering around and sleeping on the dirt knocks some sense back into you. At least enough that you come back quickly."

On one level, Miroku found himself fearful that that could happen. Especially as he remembered how quickly his hands were to grope Sango of their own accord when he had been trying not to drive her towards Michiru. But even as this depressing thought loomed large in his mind, he watched as Mushin moved off to the side, clearing the path to the door. Leaving Miroku with one last thing to say.

"Wish me luck, Master Mushin," Miroku requested even as he started out through the door.

As he did so, he heard a faint, tired voice saying, "Good luck, Miroku...you fool."

* * *

"Even thought it brought us a great blessing, I was afraid that we'd get more trouble because of that metal bird," Densuke muttered solemnly as he and InuYasha made their through the streets of Tsuzumi Village. "But I _was _hoping that we'd have more time before that happened. Even with all of the healing magic and arts your friends have been using, our militia isn't ready for another massive attack. And with only yourself, Kagome, and Kaname..."

Scowling as Densuke trailed off, InuYasha then heaved a deep breath. "Yeah, I know how you feel," he muttered sourly. "But don't you worry! I'm still here! And any jerks who might try anything here will have to go through me first!"

"I - of course, I appreciate your efforts. And I wouldn't doubt your courage or power for a moment, InuYasha. Or that of the others," Densuke quickly assured the half-demon. But then his features fell some more as he admitted, "But...everyone has their limits. And with everything that's happened...I can't help but worry that you and all of us will soon reach those limits."

"Well, don't!" InuYasha growled determinedly, despite again understanding Densuke's concern. Naraku's assault on Tsuzumi Village had been brutal, and even now, not everyone there had recovered had recovered from the many injuries incurred, or even worse, the rain of demonic blood that had nearly doomed the village. "Look, worrying never did anybody any good! So let's just focus on doing what we can to be ready for...well, whatever!"

As the half-demon proceeded forward, Densuke studied him for a time before heaving a tired sigh and smiling. "I wish I had your confidence, InuYasha," he admitted in a haggard manner. "I'm sorry, I just...I know that you and your friends have faced great dangers, but...this is still my village. My people. And I can't but worry about them. And -"

"InuYasha," came a welcome and familiar voice from behind. Stopping in mid-step, the half-demon turned about to see Kikyo approaching with a serious look on her face.

"Wha- a priestess?" Densuke got out, clearly surprised by Kikyo's presence.

Though not as surprised as InuYasha was by her decision to reveal herself to the people there. "Kikyo?!" he started even as he made his way up to her. "Wh-what are you doing here?!"

"I'm sorry, but I've come to warn you," Kikyo began in her typically serene manner. "I...sighted two groups of people approaching the village. They'll be arriving very soon."

"Kikyo?!" Densuke repeated, only to gasp in realization. "Ah, so _you're _the one that InuYasha mentioned! The one who came to warn us!"

"Never mind that now!" InuYasha grumbled, refusing to get distracted. "Who's coming, Kikyo?! Bandits?! Sesshomaru?!"

"No. But one of the groups consisted of demons," Kikyo informed him in a firm manner. "Wolf-demons, by the look of them. They were escorting carts and wagons, and was led by a strange wolf-demon armored with crystal who -"

"Ugh, _finally!"_ InuYasha growled in his throat, rolling his eyes in disgust. "It's about time that walking flea-feast Koga and his crew showed up!"

"And by the sound of it, he's got everything he needs to pick up the rest of the supplies," Densuke noted, sounding relieved as well. "I was starting to worry something had gone wrong."

Furrowing her brows in perplexity, Kikyo glanced between the two of them before focusing on InuYasha. "Koga?" she repeated, clearly baffled. "Wait...you mean that Koga is the wolf-demon armored in crystal? But how?"

"Long story. It turns out that Shikigami magic reacted in a weird way with that scrawny wolf's Shikon Jewel Shards," InuYasha muttered, making a mental note to give Kikyo a more thorough account of recent events. "And what about this other group?"

Her expression making it clear that she was still confused, Kikyo quickly shook it off and continued. "The second group consisted of Totosai riding his bull, along with what looked like four humans being carried by a large, silver phoenix. One of them was wearing a uniform like Sango's."

"That must Daisuke and some of the Demon Slayers," InuYasha decided with a slight frown. "But why are they coming here? And what's Totosai doing back here?!"

"Perhaps to help defend the village?" Densuke suggested hopefully.

"Well, whatever they're doing here, I'm gonna go track down that scrawny wolf and his crew first!" InuYasha decided in a heated manner. "Damn that Koga, making us wait on him like this...!"

"I'll go round up some men so we can help Koga and the others load up the supplies," Densuke declared, already moving off in another direction. "As well as...something else we need to give him."

Wondering what this 'something else' was but ultimately deciding that it didn't matter, InuYasha focused on Kikyo. "Can you lead me towards the scrawny wolves?"

"Yes, but...InuYasha, why would Koga be leading wolf-demons to Tsuzumi Village?" Kikyo wondered. "Something about...supplies? And this Demon Slayer...?"

Pausing to kick himself mentally for not telling Kikyo of this before, InuYasha groaned before replying, "Koga got his scrawny wolves to form an alliance with Daisuke and his Demon Slayers. Only now they're having problems, so we came out here to buy food and medicine to help them out." Kikyo's eyes widened ever so slightly, which was about the most surprised the half-demon had even seen her looking. "I'll explain it on the way," he added gruffly. "Now, could you just show me in what direction they're coming from?"

Kikyo still looked confused, but soon nodded and started down another of the streets. Leaving InuYasha to follow close behind.

_Just like I did before,_ InuYasha couldn't help but think, recalling how the two of them had first encountered each other, the half-demon then hellbent on claiming the Shikon Jewel for himself. The strange conflict between himself and the priestess slowly turning into something that he had never seen coming. _Kikyo...if only..._

Wincing at the way his thoughts were straying, InuYasha then gave a quick shake of his head. There was nothing to be gained from mourning about the past. He couldn't change what had happened to Kikyo in the past. Couldn't change the fact that she was dead.

_Except...maybe...I _can _now!_ InuYasha thought, his eyes widening somewhat as he glanced down at his new sword. _The Reikikaega...if it can really bring the dead back to life...would that work on Kikyo?! Could I use it to turn her back into a living, breathing person?!_

As InuYasha continued to study the Reikikaega's hilt, he couldn't help feel excited at the thought. But tempering his excitement was the fact that...he had absolutely no idea what would happen if he made such an attempt. Kikyo's original body was long gone. Naught but ash used with earth and bone chips from her grave to make her current form. Also, when Kikyo had been reborn into her current body, it had nearly come at the cost of Kagome's life. For since they shared the same soul, if Kikyo was ever to be fully resurrected...

_I...no, I couldn't!_ InuYasha thought, forcing himself to look away from his new sword. Recalling how Kagome had fallen into a coma, with her soul be caught between its former and current incarnation. _I couldn't - if I tried, I might wind up killing Kagome in the process! And I couldn't - what am I even thinking?!_

But even as he thought this, InuYasha's eyes were again drawn to the Reikikaega. For the truth was that neither Kikyo nor Kagome seemed at all impaired by the fact that they each possessed a portion of their shared soul. And if it turned out that it was possible...

"InuYasha?"

"Huh?" InuYasha replied, startled out of his inner thoughts by Kikyo's words. "Uh...what were you...?"

Pausing to give the half-demon a slight smile, Kikyo gestured at their surroundings. The two of them were standing just outside of Tsuzumi Village proper, along the main road that led there. "I was just saying that the Soul Collectors told me that this is the path that the wolf-demons are taking. They should be here shortly."

"Oh. Okay," InuYasha muttered out as he focused his thoughts on the situation at hand. "Thanks."

But even as the half-demon ordered his mind, Kikyo narrowed her eyes ever so slightly. "Is something troubling you, InuYasha?"

Looking up at the undead priestess, InuYasha's first response was to sigh. Of course Kikyo would notice that something was now disturbing him. She knew him, knew his moods and mannerisms as few others did. "Uh..." he hesitantly began, not wanting to give voice to the temptation that had recently occurred to him. "It's nothing. I just...I've been thinking about the Reikikaega, that's all. And...well, there's a lot I'd like to be able to use it for, but...I'm worried that doing those things might end up going badly."

Her expression making it clear that she knew there was more to it than that, Kikyo moved up to the half-demon and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Power can be a terrible, treacherous thing. Even when you attempt to use it for good," she admitted in a solemn manner. "I can understand why you are tempted by this new sword. But while you might not have always shown the best judgment, I do trust your heart, InuYasha. And whatever power you might now have, I know that you'll do your best to use it properly."

Wishing that he felt as much confidence in himself as Kikyo did, InuYasha managed a weak smile of his own. "Thanks, Kikyo," he told her, his new temptations again tugging at him. Telling him that all it would take was a swipe of the Reikikaega, and he would be able to hold a woman of flesh and blood, a woman that he could have a genuine future with. Temptations that were difficult to ignore. "I really do...oh..."

A sudden breeze blew a familiar stench into InuYasha's face. The wretched reek of scrawny wolf. And even as he turned towards the source, Koga and a couple dozen wolf-demons with wagons and carts and so on came into view.

"Here they come," InuYasha muttered gruffly, folding his arms across his chest as he scowled at the group of wolf-demons. Then, more loudly, he added, "It's about time you got here, scrawny wolf! What the hell took you, anyway?!"

"Heh. Long time, no see, little mutt!" Koga shot back. Then he glanced over at Kikyo and frowned. "Oh...it's you."

"Koga," Kikyo replied even as she studied his crystal carapace. "You've changed a great deal since our last encounter."

"Yeah, well..." Koga replied unhappily, clearly discomforted with being confronted by this undead woman. "Anyway, mutt, anything happen while I've been away?"

"A lot. Which is probably because you took _so damned long getting back!"_ InuYasha growled distastefully even as he glowered at the wolf-demons following behind Koga. "Seriously, what the hell took you all so long?!"

Glancing back the wolf-demons he led, Koga groaned in his throat. "Okay, look. Here's the thing," he began in a sheepish manner. "You know how lousy the hunting's been up where we live, right? Well, the whole time we were traveling, we kept running into game. Fish, wild boars...you name it!"

"That's right!" agreed Hakkaku, the mohawked wolf-demon scratching the back of his head in embarrassment. "We haven't had hunting so good up in the mountains ever since the waters were all poisoned by Naraku and Toma!"

"So while we were heading here...we just couldn't hold the others back!" Ginta chimed in.

"Yeah, like you two weren't taking every single chance you had along with the rest of them," Koga grumbled sourly with a roll of his eyes.

Growling in his throat, InuYasha then demanded, "Hunting?! You took _this _long because of _hunting?!"_

"Hey, my people have been _starving _for a long time now, mutt! They needed to eat, so I decided to let them while we were on the way here!" Koga declared. When InuYasha opened his mouth to protest, the alpha wolf moved in closer and began whispering so softly that the half-demon could barely hear him, even with his powerful ears. "Look, mutt! Do you really think that leading a bunch of half-starved wolf-demons into a human village would've been a _good_ idea?!"

As soon as these words were said, InuYasha growled, for he could see that Koga had a valid point. Annoyed by this, the half-demon shot back, "Don't trust your people to listen to their brains over their stomachs, do ya? Smart choice."

Koga opened his mouth to shoot back, but before he could say anything, Kikyo again placed her hand upon the half-demon's shoulder. "InuYasha, please. There is much to be done, so please, let us lead the wolf-demons to where they can collect the supplies," she urged him. "Don't forget that the Demon Slayers are also on their way."

"Demon Slayers?" Koga frowned perplexedly.

"Oh. Right," InuYasha grumbled, still not happy about having to play nice with Koga. "Kikyo says that Daisuke and three others are on their way here, along with Totosai. We don't know why, but..."

"Hmm. Then we should probably find out what they want," Koga decided. "But first, let's get the supplies loaded up and ready."

"Of course," Kikyo replied even as she turned to go back the way they had come. "Please, follow me, all of you."

As Kikyo started forward, Koga sighed heavily before looking back at the other wolf-demons. "Well, you heard...her," he grumbled, waving for them to follow. "Let's get this done and head back home." But even as the wolf-demons started forward again, prompting InuYasha and Koga to move as well, the alpha wolf gave a slight shudder. "Guh...I don't know why you put up with that creepy..._thing!"_ he grumbled, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "She stinks like the grave, the way she looks like Kagome but isn't...ugh!"

"Watch it, scrawny wolf!" InuYasha growled, despite understanding how the wolf-demon could be unsettled by the body of ash and bone chips and clay that housed Kikyo's soul.

As wolf-demon and half-demon growled and glowered at each other, the people of Tsuzumi Village were treated to the odd sight of a procession of demons being lead by a woman long dead. And the entire time, both InuYasha and Koga were on the alert. Making absolutely certain that none of the wolf-demons decided to fill his belly a bit more at someone's expense.

Fortunately, nothing went wrong. Whether these wolves were especially loyal, surprisingly intelligent, or too full to be bothered with trying to pull a fast one, the trip through the village was made peacefully and without incident. Before long, they arrived at the warehouses where the supplies were kept and found Densuke and many villagers ready and waiting to help load the supplies. "Greetings, Koga," Densuke began as he approached the demons without fear. "Glad to see you all got here without incident."

"Yeah. Though...I'm sorry it took so long," Koga admitted. "So, is everything ready?"

"Of course," Densuke assured them. "We have all the food, including plenty of smoked meat and fish, as well as the medicine you all need. And as you can see, I've got plenty of people to help load it all up for you."

"That's very good news indeed," came another voice. And to InuYasha's shock, it was coming from somewhere behind him.

"What the -?!" InuYasha blurted out even as he whirled towards the source. Only to settle down when he saw Daisuke along with three other Demon Slayers, one of whom he recognized as Kei. "Dammit! I - how'd you sneak up on us like that?!"

"I've been asking that for a long time, little mutt," Koga grumbled good-naturedly. "How the hell does a big guy like you manage to be so quiet while moving around, Daisuke?!"

"Stealth can be a warrior's best friend, Koga. Not every fight can or should be won with brute force," Daisuke replied with a slight smile. "Good to see you made it. The sooner those supplies get back home, the better."

"No arguments here," Koga replied as Daisuke advanced, the two warriors moving to shake hands. "But - what are you doing here, anyway?!"

"We're here for a couple reasons. First and foremost, Teruyo wanted to examine the metal bird. Study it and see with her own eyes just how much power it possesses," Daisuke explained, nodding towards a large, muscular woman carrying a very large hammer. "As she's our best blacksmith, I saw no reason not to heed her request." A beat passed before the veteran warrior sighed. "Also...wait." Frowning somewhat, Daisuke paused to glance about the area. "Where did Totosai get to?"

"I'm right here!" came the frantic voice of the aged blacksmith. A moment or so later, Totosai darted into view alongside the Demon Slayers. "Oh, I'm sorry, but...Momo happened upon some vegetables and decided to help himself to them. It took me a bit of doing before I was able to lead him to a pasture where he could safely graze."

The large woman with the hammer grinned broadly at this, and the youth with the staff snickered a bit. But InuYasha wasn't in the mood for giggles as he marched up to Totosai and demanded, "And as for you, old man, what are you doing back here, anyway?! What's going on?! Has anything happened to Michiru or whatever?!"

"No, no! They and the others are all perfectly fine!" Totosai protested. Only to frown and add, "Well...in Michiru's case, he's no worse off than he was when you last saw him. But...well, I...you see, the thing is -"

"Several of our most skilled in the mystic and spiritual arts have devised a means by which Michiru can be healed," Kei gracefully explained. "However, there is an...issue with it."

"Ah, yes! That's right!" Totosai hurriedly continued. "In any case, Sango was thinking about coming here to let you all know what was going on, but I volunteered to come instead so that she could stay close to Michiru and the others."

There was more to this than what Totosai was saying. InuYasha knew the old geezer well enough to be able to determine that much. Especially after that time he had tricked him into fetching supplies so that the aged blacksmith could have a bath, all under the guise of special training. But before InuYasha could say anything on that front, Daisuke added, "Also, I thought it best that Sango remain behind for...another reason."

Catching the tone in Daisuke's voice, InuYasha focused on him and scowled. "What do you mean?!" the half-demon demanded. Already flashing back to Sango's transformation, and how she had been more susceptible to the Reikikaega's power. "Is something wrong with her?!"

"She's in perfect health. However...Kei found something anomalous in her aura. A lingering demonic taint, unlike anything she's encountered in the past," Daisuke quickly explained. "We were hoping that we might learn something about it if we spent some time investigating everything that happened here, and maybe is we asked a few questions of you and your friends."

"A demonic taint?" InuYasha frowned, not liking the sound of that at all. "How bad is it?! Is it serious?!"

"It could be. Which is why we need to..." Daisuke went on as he continued to scan the group. Pausing only when he looked at Kikyo, where he frowned worriedly. "Hmm..."

Watching as Kei and the other Demon Slayers turned their eyes towards Kikyo and realizing that they had seen through the veneer of humanity her body offered, InuYasha took up position between her and them. "Uh, this is Kikyo," he declared, his tone a warning in and of itself. "She's with us."

Frowning somewhat as he processed this, Daisuke turned towards Kei. The petite priestess gave a nearly imperceptible shake of her head and a slight gesture, making it clear that she didn't feel that Kikyo was a threat. Nodding to this, the lead Slayer then turned his attention to the undead priestess. "I see. Then...I'm pleased to meet you, Lady Kikyo." A beat passed before he followed up with, "I'm looking forward to...getting to know you better."

Having not missed a thing, Kikyo gave a slight bow of her head in response. "Of course."

Knowing that this matter had been settled only for a temporary basis, InuYasha was about to speak again when Densuke spoke up again. "Koga, everyone?" he began, gesturing towards the many people there, all of them already with bundles of food and medicine, ready to be loaded. "Shall we get everything loaded?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me!" Koga declared with a broad smile. "C'mon, everyone! Let's get to work!"

"Right. Teruyo, Ienobu, let's help as well," Daisuke quickly decided. "Kei, you go with InuYasha and the others. You know what questions need to be asked. And once we're done here, we'll examine the metal bird."

"Sounds good!" the woman that had been identified as Teruyo declared. "I'm especially looking forward to checking out that bird! Along with the sweet stuff that it's made of!"

"Uh, yes. Of course," Totosai muttered somberly. "Of course you are."

Wondering what the heck had happened at the Demon Slayer fort, InuYasha groaned irritably. Things seemed to be getting far more complicated, rather than less. And he couldn't help but be worried that things would be getting even worse in the near future.

_Let's just hope that we can get this taken care of quickly,_ InuYasha grumbled inwardly, despite knowing that wasn't too likely. _The less crap we have to deal with at the same time, the better..._

Even as InuYasha considered the possibility that he had racked up a bit too much bad karma during the long years after his mother's passing, the half-demon was brought back to the moment when Kei approached him with Totosai following a short distance behind. "Excuse me, InuYasha," the priestess began in her usual pleasant manner. "Could you lead me to where you and the others are staying? I'd like to question Kagome and Kaname as quickly as possible."

A quizzical noise escaping his throat, InuYasha considered Kei for a moment before replying, "Well, sure. But why?"

"As Daisuke said, I discovered a taint in Sango's aura. And I need to identify the cause of it," Kei patiently explained. "Now, I have my suspicions about what might be responsible, but I would like to speak with you and the others in private about it."

Not liking the sound of this and privately wondering if Sango's situation was more serious than the Demon Slayers were letting on, InuYasha hesitated briefly before nodding. "Sure, no problem," he replied, his bad feeling getting worse. And so, without another word, he started leading the two priestesses through Tsuzumi Village.

But once they were away from the crowds, the two priestesses fell in step alongside each other. Neither of them looking at each other, but still in synch as they moved. With Kikyo murmuring, "You sense what I am. You and the others."

"Yes," Kei admitted with a tiny nod. "You are another of Urasue's creations. Like Enju."

A moment of surprise appeared in Kikyo's eyes at this. "You've encountered Enju?" she asked, a trace of concern in her words. "Is she well?"

"Yes. She's learned to create her own Soul Collectors, and is continuing to ply her craft as a sculptor," Kei replied in a solemn fashion. "Not an ideal existence, but she is happy with what she has."

Nodding slowly and thoughtfully, Kikyo replied, "I'm glad to hear that." A beat passed before she added, "As I am glad that you did not harm her."

"She posed no threat to the living or the dead, only wishing to ply her craft. There was no reason to harm her," Kei responded in a flat, simple voice.

InuYasha wasn't certain if either priestess was threatening the other. Both of them were speaking in far too subtle and nuanced a manner for him to pick up any implications of malice on either of their parts. But either way, he was not looking forward to having to deal with the current mess.

_The sooner we can find someplace safe to keep that damned jet, the better,_ InuYasha grumbled inwardly. _Michiru, you better get better fast! Because we're gonna need all the help we can get, and soon!_

* * *

"There," Kaname muttered even as her Soothing Green Wood spell ran its course. "Is that any better?"

Pausing to massage her throat, Kagome frowned somewhat before opening her mouth. "A...bit..." she feebly croaked out, only to wince at the effort. Then she shook her head before writing out, 'Though it's going to be a while before I can really talk again.'

_Hopefully, a good long while, _Kaname couldn't help but think even as she prepared another cup of tea for Kagome. _After everything you did to my bro, not having to listen to you has been a blessing!_

Groaning somewhat at how she was helping to restore Kagome's voice, despite the fact that she knew this to be a necessity, Kaname handed the fresh cup of tea to bombastic miko. And was promptly startled from her dour mood by the sound of approaching footsteps. "Huh?" she started, about to ask who it was. Only to be answered when she saw three familiar figures enter the dining room. "InuYasha! Oh, and Kikyo, and...Kei? Totosai?! Wait, what are you -?!"

"It's a long story, but I'll try and sum it up for you," InuYasha broke in, looking rather tired at the moment. Then he quickly explained everything that had been happening, in addition to reporting the arrival of the wolf-demons. "Anyway, while the scrawny wolves are packing up all the food and the rest of it, Kei wanted to come by and ask a few questions." Then he turned towards the aged blacksmith and growled, "But first things first! What's happening with Michiru?! Is he better yet?! And if not, when will he get better?!"

"Ah! Give me a moment, InuYasha!" Totosai quickly protested, holding up his hands in concern. "If you'll just calm down, I'll tell you what's going on!"

Scowling fiercely, InuYasha then gave a loud snort before folding his arms across his chest. "Tch. Fine..."

Nodding to this, Totosai then proceeded to seat himself at the table. Once settled he proceeded to give them both the good and the bad news regarding Michiru's situation. And while both InuYasha and Kaname were reassured by the good news that they could expect a rapid recovery from him, they both took the bad news poorly.

"My bro has to be _buried alive?!"_ Kaname cried out in pure horror.

"And for _three or four days?!"_ InuYasha bellowed, strongly tempted to smack the old man upside the head a few dozen times. "Are you serious?!"

"I'm...afraid so," Totosai admitted, seeming to shrink back from InuYasha a bit. "According to the Demon Slayers, Michiru must draw upon the mana of the natural world in order to regain his strength. And this is the only way to do that."

"But -!" InuYasha started, only to shake his head before turning towards Kei. "Is this for real?! He actually has to be _buried _and all the rest of it?!"

"I'm afraid so," Kei confirmed with a slight not of her head. "Although I am not a Shikigami User, I've learned enough from working with those who are to know just how serious this situation is. Trying to accelerate Michiru's recovery without harming him in the process is not a simple matter. And so it must be handled in precisely the right way for him to be properly healed."

"And my bro is seriously alright with this?!" Kaname demanded.

"Well, he's not pleased, but...he feels like he doesn't have any choice," Totosai admitted. "It would take far longer to recover on his own. And with everything that's been happening, he doesn't feel that he has the luxury of waiting that long."

Kaname groaned heavily at this. While she wasn't as knowledgeable about the forces of nature as her brother was, let alone Shikigami Masters like Haruna, she had to admit that this treatment did fit in line with what she had learned in her studies.

But at the same time...if anything was to go wrong or the treatment were interrupted...

"We've already taken precautions to make certain that Michiru will be guarded and tended to at all times," Kei mentioned in her typically serene manner. "It is true that it would be dangerous wake Michiru before he has recovered. But he will be buried within the perimeter of our new fort, and we've already got the new barrier stones in place. So with all of that in place and guards on duty at all times...he should be safe until he is fully recovered and ready to awaken."

Kaname was not at all happy about this, and it was clear that the others felt similarly. As she groaned fitfully, wanting to ask if she could go to the fort to check in on her brother but uncertain if she should, Kagome hurriedly wrote another message and handed it to Kei. "'What if a demon were to try and dig under the fort walls and barrier to get at him?'" the priestess read. "Don't worry, Kagome. The barrier extends into the ground beneath the fort as well. And even if someone were to make an attempt, the Shikigami Users among us would sense it and be able to repel such an attacker."

Feeling a bit of relief at this, Kaname sighed even as Kikyo turned her eyes towards her reincarnated self. "Has something happened to Kagome's voice?" the undead woman asked. "She has not spoken this entire time."

"Huh? Oh, right," Kaname got out, feeling a bit abashed. "Kagome and I got into a big argument because she was mad at my bro. And then she wore her throat out completely by sitting InuYasha, and -"

A fist striking the table cut Kaname off and prompted her to turn towards the raven-haired girl. And quickly saw her holding up her pad of paper with the words 'KNOCK IT OFF!' written hastily upon it.

But even as Kaname was considering her retort, Kikyo frowned some more. "Wait - sit? What -?"

The undead priestess was immediately cut off by the Beads of Subjugation reacting to that one word in the same exact way they did whenever Kagome gave voice to it. InuYasha was immediately and painfully driven face-first into the floor with a loud thunk. Prompting Kikyo to gaze at the half-demon in clear surprise.

"Um..." Totosai began in a sheepish manner as InuYasha groaned and struggled to recover. "Does that answer your question?"

Blinking a few times at this, Kikyo then frowned at Kagome. "You mean...you wore out your voice, using the Beads of Subjugation?" Then she turned to Kaname and wondered, "Does she use the Beads like this often?"

"Well, not to the point where she wears out her throat, but...yeah!" Kaname confirmed with a quick nod. "I've seen her use those awful Beads when she gets mad at InuYasha or they argue or -"

"Kaname, _please!"_ InuYasha spoke again, this time with enough force that the Kururugi girl turned and looked towards him. And saw nothing short of desperate humiliation on his face. "You don't have to -!"

"InuYasha, Kagome...is what Kaname saying true?" Kikyo demanded in a soft voice that had all the force of a napalm enema. "Have you been using the Beads of Subjugation in an abusive manner?"

InuYasha opened his mouth to speak, only for an uncertain groan to escape his lips as he glanced over at Kagome. As for the raven-haired girl, she took note of the looks being sent her way, her mouth opening and closing rapidly, before hurriedly scribbling out a new message and handing it over to Kikyo. "'No, I have not been abusing the Beads!'," Kikyo read in a slow manner, her eyes still narrowed. "'I'm just trying to keep InuYasha out of trouble.'" Pausing to study this message for a time, Kagome then handed the notepad back and muttered, "Kagome...you would not have worn out your throat using the Beads if simply keeping InuYasha out of trouble was your goal. Even if you had overused your voice earlier."

Kagome's expression fell, resulting in her looking much like a little kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar. And Kaname was hard-pressed not to laugh at it.

"InuYasha, please come with me," Kikyo instructed him, already turning to depart. "I wish to speak with you. In private."

InuYasha opened his mouth to protest, but as Kikyo departed, the half-demon let out a heavy groan of dismay. Then he shot Kaname look before moving to follow the undead priestess.

Leaving Kaname to sit there with Kagome shooting an ugly glare at her. With Kei letting out a muted groan. "Tell me, Kaname," the Demon Slayer began in a weary manner. "Is this...typical...of everyday life in your group?"

Suddenly on the spot and feeling rather embarrassed herself, Kaname offered up a helpless shrug. "Well...yeah. Kind of."

"Indeed," Totosai muttered in a tired manner.

Again, Kei sighed before placing her hand to her temples. "Listen, I...there is still much that I must accomplish. And I'm afraid that this little...incident was...not conducive to this."

"Sorry. I just...I just thought Kikyo had a right to know about how Kagome treats InuYasha, that's all," Kaname replied even as Kagome continued to glare at her. "So, anyway...why are you here, anyway?"

Pausing to heave a deep breath, Kei visibly steadied herself before explaining about how Sango and the others had been examined in the wake of being stricken by the Reikikaega. "During our examination, I found something anomalous in Sango's aura," she eventually concluded. "A demonic taint that had permeated her very being. Both her aura and her living flesh."

"Really?!" Kaname asked even as Kagome studied the Demon Slayer in concern. "But - how did that happen?! What tainted Sango in the first place?!"

"I don't know. However...I _do _know that it must've been something very potent," Kei admitted as she studied the both of them. "And that's why I wished to see you. You've all been traveling with Sango for a very long time now, and are aware of everything she's been through since her home was destroyed and her people slain."

"Well, yes. I mean...I haven't been...with the others for very long, but..." Kaname replied, trailing off with a shrug.

Nodding her understanding, Kei then asked, "Then...tell me, Kagome; has Sango ever used any demonic artifacts on herself? Such as...a Sacred Jewel Shard? Or perhaps had one used on her by another?"

Both girls were taken aback by this, pausing to look at each other before again focusing on Kei. "What, are you kidding?!" Kaname demanded incredulously. "What would make you think something like that?!"

"Because the taint I felt coming from Sango was very potent, but also held a lingering hint of a deep evil," Kei solemnly explained. "I don't have any experience with the Shikon Jewel, having never handled any of its Shards myself. But still, it occurred to me that Sango might have been infected by one during her journey."

"Not that I know of," Kaname admitted while Kagome shook her head. "But - if that's all that you really needed to know, then why not just ask Sango herself?"

"Because she's already been through a great deal. Including having to tend to Michiru and Kanna," Kei said by way of explanation. "The last thing we wish to do is increase her burdens needlessly or put her under any additional stress unless there is no other alternative."

Kaname wasn't sure about that. Even though there was nothing overt about Kei's words that said she was lying or anything of that nature, she couldn't help but think that the priestess might not be telling them everything.

But even as she thought this, Kaname realized that she had no way of knowing whether or not Kei was omitting anything of that nature. And without any evidence to suggest otherwise, she didn't want to push the Demon Slayer. So she replied as honestly as she could. "Well, all I can say is that nothing like that has happened since I started traveling with the others," she finally admitted. "And as for Sango using a Jewel Shard, that's crazy! After all the horror stories I've heard about the damage those things can do, I can't imagine _Sango _of all people sticking one in herself or anything!"

At this, Kagome smiled and nodded enthusiastically.

Only for her eyes to suddenly widen and her expression to sag. Quickly transforming into a face that basically screamed 'Oh, crap!'

And it was an expression that did not go unnoticed by either of the other girls.

"Kagome?" Kei asked in a more pointed manner than before. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

Kagome hurriedly scribbled another message and handed it over to Kei. "'Follow me!'?" the priestess read in a perplexed manner. "Why? Did you remember something?"

Kagome's only answer was to rise to her feet and gesture for the other two girls to follow her before darting out of the dining room. Leaving Kei and Kaname to exchange looks for a moment before moving to follow.

But as they departed, Kaname heard Totosai muttering, "I don't know what's going on, but I'm not in any hurry to stick my neck out on _this _chopping block..."

* * *

_I don't believe this! Why didn't I think of this sooner?!_ Kagome berated herself as she raced up the stairs of Kaito's home. _It's been so long since it happened, I'd almost forgotten, but still - oh, _please _let me be wrong about this!_

However, Kagome couldn't shake the nagging sensation in the pit of her stomach that said that she was right. That this was the culprit behind Sango's more extreme transformation and whatever it was that Kei was so clearly worried about. And so she hurriedly made her way towards the room that was presently under guard by two of the town militia members.

"Lady Kagome?" one of the militiamen began, looking at her perplexedly as she came to stand before them. "What is it? Has something happened?"

"That's what I'd like to know," came Kei's voice from behind. Glancing back over her shoulder, Kagome watched as the priestess and Kaname slowly approached. "What is it that you wish to show me?"

Instead of responding, Kagome hurriedly wrote out a message for the two militia men; 'Open the door!'

A beat passed as the two militia members turned to look at each other before looking back at Kagome. Both of them frowned in confusion, but ultimately did as requested. Making sure to keep their weapons at the ready, they carefully unlocked the door and slid it open. Then they carefully pulled back so as to better observe the boy that was effectively their prisoner.

"What the...?" Kei frowned as she studied the interior of the room. Only for her features to crease with confusion as she gasped, "But...he's a Demon Slayer!"

"That's Kohaku, Sango's younger brother," Kaname hurriedly explained. "Naraku had him killed and then shoved a Sacred Jewel Shard in his back in order to bring him back to life and make him his slave. We have to keep him in here because we're not sure how to break the spell on him without removing the Sacred Jewel Shard. And if we tried that -"

"Then he would truly die. I see," Kei nodded in understanding.

Even as the two of them spoke, Kagome hurriedly scribbled another message for the Demon Slayer; 'Can you sense the Jewel Shard in Kohaku's back? Is it's power like the taint you sensed from Sango?'

As Kaname frowned in befuddlement, Kei narrowed her eyes before turning her attention to the small boy in the room. She studied him intently for a time, contemplating him until at last she sucked in a tiny gasp. "This taint...it's exactly the same as that which I sensed in Sango," she murmured fearfully. "But how did you -?"

Kagome smacked herself in the forehead. At that moment, she felt like the single most stupid human being on the face of the planet. But it was also something that she had to push off to the side as she again wrote upon the notepad.

"'It happened after Sango's fort was destroyed by Naraku's demons,'" Kei read once Kagome was done. "'Naraku tricked Sango into thinking that InuYasha was the one who had killed her people. But she was so badly wounded that she could barely move, let alone fight. So he stuck a Shikon Jewel Shard in her back so that she could keep fighting, hoping that we'd wind up killing each other.'"

_"What?!"_ Kaname squawked in horror. "I - my bro never told me about that!"

Again, Kagome hurriedly wrote her response. And left Kaname to read, "'It's not something we like to think about.' Yeah, I can believe that!"

"Still, this explains a great deal," Kei mused in a thoughtful manner. "But even so, if that is the case, I'm surprised that the taint would remain so strong in her after all this time. After all, you did perform a purification ritual on Sango afterward, correct?"

_A what?_ Kagome thought even as she looked blankly at Kei. Too stunned to even write out the words.

However, it was clear that Kei could read Kagome's expression well enough. "A purification ritual. To cleanse the lingering demonic taint left behind by the shard," she said by way of explanation. "You performed one, correct?"

Blinking a few times at this, Kagome gulped nervously before slowly writing her response to this. "What the - 'What's a purification rit-' Kagome, you cannot _possibly _be serious!" Kei cried out, losing her composure for the very first time since the modern miko had met her. "Such rituals are standard training for _any _priestess! I learned how to perform them before I was thirteen years of age!" Pausing to shake her head in dismay, Kei then heaved a deep breath and asked, "What kind of training have you had?"

Feeling increasingly boxed in, embarrassed, and not just a little guilty, Kagome wrote her response. "'I've had archery trai-' yes, I've seen that. But what about _spiritual _training?" Kei cut herself off. "Creating barriers? Crafting sutras? Prayers to neutralize demonic spells?" When the modern miko failed to reply, the Demon Slayer groaned and added, "Anything?"

Groaning hesitantly, Kagome wrote down her next response. "'I've been practicing with my tools and -'" Kei started, only to look up at the raven-haired girl in mute horror. "You mean that...you've never had _any_ formal training whatsoever? That you have all this raw power and you have no idea how to use it properly?"

Groaning in despair, Kagome glanced about for help. The militiamen were exchanging looks while visibly distancing themselves from the three girls. As for Kaname, she blurted out, "You've never trained?! But I've been training like crazy since I - since my powers awakened! Why haven't you?"

Having wanted help but getting met with an accusation, Kagome scowled and hurriedly scribbled out a response. "'Because I have homework and other stuff to deal with! And besides, unlike you, no one in my family knows a thing about spiritual powers and -' but Kagome, what about Priestess Kaede?! Or even Miroku?! You could've asked them for training, and -!"

"Enough," Kei broke in, and when Kagome and Kaname again focused on her, they again saw the Demon Slayer looking as if she was massaging a slight headache. "At least we've identified the cause of the taint; the lingering power from a corrupted Shard of the Shikon Jewel." Pausing to heave a deep breath, Kei added, "Now, I'd best return to the fort as quickly as possible."

"Huh?" Kaname started, visibly surprised even as Kei started past them. "But - Kei, hold on!" she cried out in dismay. "This taint...does that mean...is Sango in any danger?"

Pausing at these words, Kei looked back at Kaname briefly before saying, "It may, Kaname. But thanks to you, I'm hopeful that any potential harm may yet be mitigated." A beat passed before her expression hardened. "However, there is no time to waste. And for Sango's sake, I must take my leave of you all now."

Without another word, Kei made her way down the stairs. After a few seconds, Kaname glanced back and forth between the two priestesses before instructing the militia members, "Please, close the doors again. And be sure to lock up!"

"Of course," one of the militia members replied as he and his fellow moved to carry out Kaname's instructions. All the while Kagome just stood there in stupefied disbelief.

_She...she's right..._Kagome finally admitted inwardly. _I never did practice with my spiritual powers...I have no idea how to create barriers or...do any of the things that I've seen other priestesses or monks do in this world..._

But even as she thought this, a surge of familiar anger appeared in Kagome's mind. _But - hang on! What about Miroku?! _He _never did any cleansing ritual or whatever on Sango! So it can't be something that _everybody _knows, and..._

But even as she thought this, Kagome remembered that Miroku's training was likely different from that of Kaede or Kikyo. After all, Miroku was a Buddhist monk; Kaede and Kikyo were Shinto priestesses. And while there was bound to be some overlap between their skill sets, that didn't mean that he would automatically know how to do this sort of thing.

_Besides...Miroku isn't exactly an ideal monk..._ Kagome was silently forced to admit. _Also...Kei has a point. I've never done any_ _training with my powers...I have the power of a priestess, but I have absolutely no idea how to really _use_ it..._

And as Kagome thought this, and considered the possibility that such a lapse on her part might have hurt one of her dearest friends...she felt truly sad and empty inside.

* * *

Author's Notes: Ugh...still trying to get out of my funk and so on. I hope you all enjoy this chapter. There was a lot more I wanted to fit into here, but I didn't want to overwhelm either the chapter or myself. Still, I do hope that you all enjoy and that you'll read and review! And maybe check out my other stories?

I'm sure that there are those of you who are annoyed by me putting Kagome on the spot like that, but there is a method to my madness. One of my big complaints about her is that, over the course of the entire series, we never see Kagome even once trying to master her spiritual powers and instead tends to rely on the others in general and InuYasha in particular. Yes, I am aware that she starts practicing with her bow and arrows, but there's a lot more that she could be able to do if she trained. We've seen monks and priestesses and so on doing some pretty crazy things in the world of InuYasha, and yet Kagome...well, she usually is completely dependent upon InuYasha and the others. Yes, I know that she has responsibilities to attend to in regards to school, but still, given the kind of threat that Naraku poses, I think that it would be wise of her to learn how to actually use her powers for something beyond shooting arrows. And the fact that we never see her doing so strikes me as irksome. Heck, even Shippo seemed to try harder than Kagome does to become stronger and more skilled!

As for the bit about Sango's problem being caused by the tainted Jewel Shard that Naraku had given her early on...well, that just made sense to me. We've seen plenty of times that corrupted Sacred Jewel Shards can have some very nasty side effects on living beings. I mean, we all saw what that Jewel Shard that the Hell-Painter was using to empower his ink did to him. And Miroku once said that he didn't dare touch a Sacred Jewel Shard that had been so thoroughly tainted. So I can't imagine that having something like that in a person's body would be particularly healthy. And there was never any mention of anything having been done to purify any lingering taint, so...there you go. Plus, I like the idea of doing something to motivate Kagome to actually train and contribute more to the group.

In regards to Miroku's grandfather having some kind of special artifacts to fight with...while we've seen no sign of such things in canon, it's also been established in both the canon anime series and "Inuyasha the Movie: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass" that Miroku's grandfather Miyatsu fought some very powerful demons, including Naraku and Princess Kaguya. And while I freely admit that we can't really tell how powerful Naraku was back in those days, he was certainly dangerous. And Princess Kaguya...well, we saw what she could do, even without the Celestial Robe. And if Miroku's spiritual power is any kind of barometer for Miyatsu's power, then I'd say that enemies like those were kind of outside his weight class. In addition to this, it has been established in canon that spiritual purity is a major component of a person's spiritual power. And given what we know about Miyatsu (which is basically nothing except that he was a monk and a lecher), I really can't see him any more powerful than Miroku is. So him needing something extra makes sense in my mind.

Now, I admit that it's been a while since I've watched much of the anime, so there are some things I'm not clear on. For example, I can't for the life of me remember ever seeing Koga and Kikyo meet, but it doesn't seem impossible. So for simplicity's sake, I just threw that in. Also (and again, this is because of Kikyo's lack of proximity to InuYasha and the others) I doubted she was aware of how Kagome was using (or misusing) the Beads of Subjugation. So putting her in a situation where she found about Kagome's bad habit seemed workable.

Yes, I know that InuYasha being smashed into the ground is supposed to be considered funny. And I freely admit that he was a jerk at best and a threat at worst very early on. But it didn't take long for him to mend his ways. And when he did that, any humor that was to be in him being sat dried up almost instantly.

Also, a few other things. First of all, the "Legacy of the Cursed Mask" series has its own page over at TV Tropes, so please, feel free to look that up and add to that page. Really, I'd appreciate that. And second, I've started posting video game walkthroughs on my YouTube channel, which I'm running under the same name I'm using here. So please, check it out if you have a spare moment. Presently, I'm working on a walkthrough of "Ghostbusters: The Video Game".

ragethedemonhog, well, you never know until you try. And I didn't magically start out as a good writer. It took a lot of hard work and practice on my part. So if you want to give it a try, then by all means, do so.

JamesDarkWolf, I wasn't planning on creating anything between Sesshomaru and Kaname. To be quite frank, I completely fail to see why so many girls go ga-ga over Sesshie. Of course, I completely fail to see why Sephiroth has so many fangirls and so on, so maybe that's just me. Besides, I don't want to resort to cheap tricks when it comes to InuYasha and Kaname. But I do like the idea of InuYasha and Kaname hooking up.

keller75863548274483, no, Kaname isn't a target of Haruna. The reason Haruna's focusing on Michiru is because he could theoretically impregnate a great many women and then be free to go about his way while Kaname could only have a few children and would be forced to remain with the Demon Slayers while waiting to give birth. Though you can bet that InuYasha will still be mad.

MyHeartBeating, yeah, college and some other work I've been doing have really chewed me up and spit me out. So now I'm trying to get the creative juices flowing properly again. I'm glad that you liked the idea of Michiru being buried to heal. And let's be honest, Kagome is a stubborn one, and she slowly is realizing her mistakes after having taken so much for granted. I was hoping to get some action with the samurai in this chapter, but...oh, well. Always next time. Expect things to get chaotic with Sesshomaru's arrival. I'm planning on having Janis show up when Kagome goes back to Kaede's Village.

Deiru Tamashi, you now know what Miroku had in mind. You're right in that Kagome seeing the light will take a long while. She's very used to getting her own way and being able to call the shots for the group, and it's going to take a while for her to change her ways. And a lot of stuff she's done...this is just my opinion, but I don't think she sees herself as being wrong in doing things like sitting InuYasha or a lot of the other things she's done. So her changing is going to take a long while. As for Michiru, he is on the road to recovery, but it will have a few bumps and potholes in it, naturally. Don't worry, Haruna's not as bad as Danzo. But she is prepared to play dirty to get what she wants. I'll explain the nature of the Shikigami spirit Haruna sent to Tsuzumi later on. And I haven't gotten my degree yet. That's going to take a long while.

Greymon Leader Batx flashpoint, you can expect things to be tricky in the future. Yeah, I can see Miroku going that route. I mean, let's face it; just how many times have we seen Miroku go chasing after beautiful women? Like the time that mantis demon disguised itself in an attempt to kill Miroku? There is a reason why Mushin doesn't want to talk about Miroku's mother, though. InuYasha and Kagome's relationship _is _abusive. I've done plenty of research on it, and it shows all of the earmarks of an abusive relationship. And don't worry, Kikyo isn't going to go ballistic on InuYasha or anything. Though things won't be easy for any of them. Though I do agree that InuYasha cares a great deal. He's just damaged goods and not very good at dealing with people, especially when we first see him. And you can expect things to get even worse when Sesshomaru shows up. Bet on that. You'll have to wait and see what Michiru will experience when he's dreaming. Don't worry, Haruna's plans don't include murder. Kagome is going to be difficult, as I've already stated. College is difficult, especially when you're trying to do a whole at once. And I have heard of Sun &amp; Moon. Like the look of the legendaries.

Keep Calm and Be Ninja, yeah, I know. Since my last chapter, I downloaded Grammarly, a free program to help with spelling and grammar, and it's been working well. As for Kagome, she's realized _some _of her blunders. Unfortunately, she doesn't quite see how some things like sitting InuYasha and her other behaviors aren't acceptable, so...yeah. It's going to take a while for her to mend her ways. You've already learned of Miroku's plans. As for the rest...you'll just have to wait and see.

Raidentensho, I do my best. Don't worry, a Shikigami User with a powerful signature weapon like the kind you speak of is on the way.

Fenikkusumaru, yup, things are heating up. And I'm trying to get things going again online. But...well, life is not being good to me.

Uruz 11, yeah, it's a burden, to say the least. I thought that scene worked. I mean, it's very rare that we see someone doing something nice for InuYasha like that. Granted, he's gruff, but as you mentioned, he's been badly hurt over the course of growing up alone. Though don't be surprised if InuYasha's mother gets a glimpse of the friendships that her son will make. Kikyo will be sticking around for a while, to help protect the jet and everything else. Though there won't be much time for socialization in the near future. I have to be honest that, to an extent, I feel like I'm giving Miroku more credit than he deserves, but I am trying to create a story that satisfies everyone and not go into all-out bashing territory. That being said, his fear that he was responsible for everything that happened in the alt timeline is a driving force behind what he's doing now, as well as what he'll be doing in the future. Kagome certainly has a lot of faults, and she's been allowed to get away with a lot, both here and in canon. I still feel a lot of that is because they needed her abilities but she was also the most temperamental and prone to taking off whenever she got into a bad mood. But it will take a long time for things to improve. For while Kagome will certainly try to make amends, she's very set in her ways at this point, which will make things more difficult. You're right in that repairing the damage between them all will take a long time, which they don't have much of. Sango does have a lot on her plate, and it won't be getting any easier, as you may have guessed from this chapter. Yeah, Michiru's going to be buried and unconscious for a while. But don't forget that he's being buried in the Demon Slayer fort, so he won't be in any danger from Sesshomaru if he should arrive before Michiru recovers. Expect for InuYasha to mention that Sesshomaru and others are on their way, so at least some of the Demon Slayers will remain there to help guard Tsuzumi Village. And no, Haruna hasn't given up on her agenda, but unfortunately, with the group spread so thin and with everything happening so fast, InuYasha and the others aren't really in a position to head on over to the Demon Slayer fort to keep watch on Michiru as well, but as you've seen, Sango is already addressing the issue of Haruna trying to pull a fast one. As you've seen, I've already arranged for Michiru and Sango to spend the day together, with Sango making certain that there is no hanky-panky. And yes, you can definitely expect things to be at their darkest before the dawn. And we're a long way from dawn right now. And don't worry, I'm not giving up on my writing. So I'm glad you're enjoying everything, and that you enjoy this chapter as well.


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